Clare Smyth to open Sydney restaurant

Clare Smyth, chef patron of the two Michelin-starred Core in Notting Hill, is to open a restaurant inside Crown Sydney, the city’s tallest building housing a hotel and casino.

Clare Smyth will open a restaurant in Sydney next year

Due to open in February 2021, the restaurant will focus on Australian produce and draw inspiration from Sydney harbour and its surrounds.

“Crown Sydney is creating a world-class dining destination for the city, and I am thrilled to have my first Australian restaurant in this amazing location overlooking one of the most beautiful sites in the world.

“With this new restaurant I wish to build upon the success of Core. Having lived and travelled in Australia early on in my career, it feels like a home away from home and the perfect location for the restaurant,” Smyth said.

“The quality and diversity of the produce available in Australia is incredible. I look forward to spending a lot of time there exploring its food and wine regions to create a menu that will showcase the best produce sourced from Australia’s most dedicated farmers and producers,” she added.

Based in Barangaroo, when it opens next year, Crown Sydney will boast 14 restaurants and is set to become one of the Sydney’s top dining destinations.

The space will also house a 349-room hotel, luxury residences, premium retail outlets, a pool, spa, conference rooms and gaming facilities.

“Partnering with a chef of Clare’s calibre is a huge coup for Sydney’s restaurant scene and our standing as a food destination,” said Crown Sydney’s chief operating officer, Peter Crinis.

Born in Northern Ireland, Smyth worked alongside Gordon Ramsay for 13 years at his eponymous restaurant in Chelsea, where she became the first British female chef to be awarded three Michelin stars.

In 2017 she opened her debut solo venture, Core in Notting Hill, which was awarded two stars in the 2019 Michelin guide. Core focuses on seasonal food sourced from local farmers. Humble ingredients like carrots and potatoes are given the fine dining treatment and put on a pedestal.

In addition to her busy day job, Smyth catered at the private reception for the wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in May 2018.