Aside from being one of the most eagerly anticipated restaurants of the year – two years in the making – Fred’s in Paddington is bringing a distinctly refreshing twist to the Sydney dining scene when it opens next month.

The restaurant is led by Californian food star Danielle Alvarez, who was lured from San Francisco’s iconic farm-to-table restaurant, Chez Panisse, by Merivale boss Justin Hemmes. Joining her is a senior kitchen and restaurant staff composed almost entirely of women.

Meet sous chef Charlotte Gonzales (ex-Felix), pastry chef Rosanna Eastwood (ex-Momofuku Seiobo) and head sommelier Caitlyn Rees (ex-Felix), along with the restaurant’s manager Carissa Teeling (ex-Paddington).

Alvarez says the all-female team was “a happy coincidence”.

“I would never hire anyone based on whether they were male or female,” says Alvarez, who also spent time at Thomas Keller’s French Laundry in Napa Valley. “These individuals were just the best people for the job. But I do think it’s interesting to see what it will be like in a place that is more female-driven.”

In her experience, redressing the gender imbalance can only benefit a venue.

“I look back at the kitchens I have worked in and the most harmonious ones are those that at least have a good balance,” she says. “I think women can sometimes soften a kitchen, which can be a good thing because they can be quite hard and aggressive at times.”

For Rees, who oversees the 300-strong wine list, the decision to join the mostly all-female crew was wholly motivated by working with Alvarez.

“Working with Danielle is definitely what excited me,” she says. “And I think we were all drawn by that. I was familiar with what she was doing at Chez Panisse, and I am really excited about the product that we’ll be working with.”

That said, the female to male ratio is atypical. “It’s definitely the highest proportion of women in a restaurant I have ever worked with,” Rees adds.