Up the road,in the sprawling site next tothe building where Tetsuya Wakuda etched a new chapter on Australian dining before relocating to Sydney’s CBD,Fabbrica Bread Shop will open inside Maloneys Grocer.
Buoyed by the successful launch ofFabbrica Pasta Bar at Balmain’s Exchange Hotel earlier this year,the Fabbrica mothership will double down on the Rozelle-Balmain area with its bread shop spin-off.
What started as apop-up bakery that took over the Fabbrica Pasta Shop in the Sydney CBD during the pandemic lockdowns will become a permanent destination for its baked goods,sausage rolls and banoffee tarts.
Why are operators pouring back into Rozelle-Balmain,a precinct that looked to be one-way traffic outwards just 18 months ago with the closures ofEfendy,One Ford Street and stalwartBlue Ginger?
Restaurateur Michael Fegent points to the area’s key demographics and food-savvy clientele. “There’s also the trend toward eating and drinking locally,” Fegent says.
Fegent,owner ofTequlia Mockingbird in Paddington andEsteban in the CBD,has invested heavily in Balmain,buying the building where Efendy traded. He’ll open an Argentinian restaurant there in late 2023.
He also points to promising signs from Inner West Council,which is exploring turning Darling Street into a special entertainment precinct with later outdoor closing times.
In an area famed for its historic pubs,all eyes have been on the fastidious restoration of theDry Dock Hotel, undertaken by owner Peninsula Hospitality.
When it opens in late 2023,the pub’s dining room will fix its gaze on modern European cuisine with French roots. And it has the pedigree to pull it off,having nabbed former Felix co-head chef Ben Sitton to head the kitchen.
Peninsula’s James Ingram points to Balmain’s rich history of dining and entertaining. He believes there’s an opportunity for high-quality,food and beverage-led venues that “embrace and enhance the local lifestyle”.
“We’re excited to be a part of the hospitality resurgence that is already happening in the area,” he says.