Sometime in late February, we will be swinging open the doors to our latest venture, Rockpool Bar & Grill at 66 Hunter Street in Sydney’s CBD. The restaurant has been a long time coming and our designers, Bates Smart, have done a truly incredible job.
With seating for 220 and an array of private dining spaces that hold from 6 to 45, I believe it is truly the steak house Sydney has been waiting for.
The building itself has something of a wonderful history. Built in 1932, it was designed by Emil Sodersten, a pioneering young architect in modern design at the time. Built of a solid steel frame and stone clad – it is 12 storeys high with continuous vertical bands of zig zag metal framed bay windows; and bronze sculptures in the polished stone entrance by Rayner Hoff. . It was also the first fully-ducted air conditioned building in the city and these days is considered the best example of 1930s modern architecture in Sydney.

Just recently, following a story about my 2 new restaurants in the Sydney Morning Herald’s “The (Sydney) Magazine”, I received a wonderful letter for the grandson of one George Crowley, General Manager and Chairman of Directors, City Mutual Life Assurance Society Limited. I had joked with the journalist that I would attach a ponytail to the brass bust that sits proudly above what will be the restaurant – watching over the diners…Mr Crowley wrote “I have instructed my lay-about grandson George, to bring to the attention of Neil Perry Esq. that any attempt to attach a ponytail to my brass bust at his new eatery in the City Mutual Life Building…will be met with the sternest resistance.”
Quite a history to be respected there. My partners and I feel both proud and lucky to be opening within this incredible piece of architecture.  The feel of the design from Bates Smart and the creative from Mahon and Band and Earl Carter is respectful of this very elegant era. In fact – it’s plain amazing. I feel like a kid 2 weeks out from Christmas…the days just can’t move fast enough. I hope George Crowley feels the same way.

Currently, we are a mound of rubble surrounded by some incredible long-standing structure – more so than Spice Temple. Amazing what cathedral-like ceilings and incredible marble columns can do for rubble though, to be fair.
Buildcorp are working at a rate of knots on both ventures but Bar & Grill, for now, still has a fair way to go…

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