In the great national debate over scallop, cake or fritter, new Darlinghurst bistro The Waratah doubles down for NSW with its potato scallop. “It’s scallops squared,” the waiter announces as he delivers three crisp discs of potato, topped with diced scallop of the marine kind. The crunch on the bite-sized potato morsel would earn nods of approval from your local fish’n’ chipper, while the tumble of almost-creamy raw scallop elevates it well beyond anything you’d find there. 

The snack encapsulates the appeal of this bar-meets-bistro-meets-gastro pub, which has taken over a prime corner terrace on Liverpool Street, opposite shuttered former community hub, the Green Park Hotel. It’s an eagerly anticipated arrival in Darlinghurst which, like its neighbour Kings Cross, is still yet to claw back its pre-lockout-laws nightlife. But if you were expecting a classic boozer, The ‘Tah is not that. Drawing inspiration from its floral namesake, the venue is an homage to local ingredients, with a hefty dose of Australiana stirred in. Native flowers painted by artist Sarah McCloskey creep across the ceiling of the front bar, and everywhere there are echoes of the angular shapes and tonal hues of Australia’s landscape. 

There’s real Australian talent behind it all, too, with veteran bartender Evan Stroeve (formerly of Bulletin Place, Shady Pines Saloon and Re.) and social media entrepreneur Cynthia Litster teaming up in the new Pollen Hospitality group. The duo enlisted Icebergs executive chef Alex Prichard to consult on the debut menu, deftly executed by Icebergs and Bistro Moncur alum Lewin White. The labyrinthian space seats up to 120 across two storeys, with a courtyard terrace striped with sunlight, wrap-around balcony and intimate dining room up top; and an elegant front bar at street level. Walk-ins and a pub-ish menu (with no schnitty in sight) are the draw downstairs, while Prichard’s full menu and Stroeve’s extended drinks list are offered in the moodily hued dining room and at two-tops around the filigree balcony.

The high-concept drinks list will shift focus to a different region each season, with the Daintree kicking things off. Each seasonal cocktail is accompanied by the story of a TNQ producer it features – like the paddock-to-bottle dairy that provides the cream caramelised in a gin-spiked mango concoction. A small but well-formed craft beer menu reps NSW brewers such as Bathurst’s Reckless Brewing Co. and Sydney’s Wildflower, while wine favours boutique Australian makers with a minimal-intervention bent.

Related story: The Waratah bar to open in Darlinghurst, Sydney

Local produce also takes a front seat in Prichard’s offering. Bunya nut adds a chesnutty depth to a miso glaze on thinly sliced smoked pork cheek skewers (a waiter’s recommendation to add a fluffy, floury sourdough roll for sopping is a wise one). The bay lobster roll gets a lick of heat from Ziggy’s Wildfoods green ant hot sauce, but the delicate bug meat is a bit overpowered by everything else going on. 

The steamed market fish, barra today, arrives in a consomme worth drinking out of the bowl (better yet, save some bread), with chargrilled greens and native sea succulent karkalla adding refreshing crunch, and pipis absorbing an XO sauce. The Australiana kitsch comes roaring back for dessert, which includes a mini fairy bread ice cream sandwich that will likely flood Sydney’s feeds this summer. 

As we trail out onto the street, the pavement seats are filling up with small groups sharing granita-topped oysters and chilled bottles of wine in the afternoon sun. It will be interesting to see how The Waratah evolves as it settles into its multifunctional space, but as with any true neighbourhood haunt, it already promises a little of everything to all comers. 

The Waratah
Wed-Fri: 4pm-12am
Sat: 12pm-12am
Sun: 12pm-10pm
@thewaratahsydney

Related review: Chill at the bar or splash out on dinner at the newly revamped Icebergs