There’s change afoot at the QT Sydney. For the summer anyway, with the design haven announcing a special guest chef will be chartering its food offerings for the season. And that special guest is the much revered Jean-Paul Lourdes.

Fresh from leading the kitchen at Nomad in New York, the acclaimed Kiwi cooking star will be assisting in a seasonal revamp of the Gowings Bar & Grill offerings. While the classic dishes will remain, there will also be a handful of Jean-Paul’s eclectic specialities landing on the menu.

“I am excited to extend the Gowings menu with some new dishes to savour,” he says. There’s a certain focus on local produce that is helping him to determine just what will make it to the final menu. “With food, it is about sourcing the finest produce and we have the best Australia has to offer – Rangers Valley Beef, Cape Grim Beef, Palmers Island Seafood and Sonoma Single Origin Bread – just to name a few!  I have a simplistic approach to food and I hope to strengthen our patrons enduring love for Gowings Bar & Grill,” Jean-Paul continues.

The restaurant proudly hand-crafts most of what is served by the team. Produce is collected from both local providores, as well as the QT itself, which is home to a rooftop garden and a colony of 90,000 bees and their hives. Fans of the restaurant can also expect a handful of collaborations to emerge over the summer with said providores, including Vic’s Meat.

“We are so excited to be working with QT,” says Anthony Puharich of Vic’s Meat. “Since opening in 2010 Gowings has been providing quality, consistency and hospitality all laced with a bit of fun – Vic’s Premium Quality Meat shares and loves this philosophy. The collaboration with Gowings is all about providing diners with a unique selection and range of meat which are of the absolute highest quality.”

Patrons can expect to see menu additions that include Rangers Valley 1kg New York bone, roasted snapper served with slipper lobster and Persian saffron, and Portuguese octopus served with flavours of chorizo. The desserts will (naturally) include a signature New York Cheesecake, passionfruit pavlova and a chocolate ganache.

It’s all about revitalising the existing restaurant experience says director of hospitality for Event Hospitality and Entertainment Limited Brett Sergeant. “Gowings has always been a very popular bar and grill.  Through working with some of Australia’s most acclaimed producers and welcoming Jean-Paul as Guest Chef, the restaurant is well positioned to elevate the dining experience.”