Coming Soon: Darling Glebe Will Revive One of Sydney's Most Storied Dining Rooms — with French Omakase and a Late-Night Martini Bar
The dramatic sandstone grotto beneath a heritage-listed Glebe Point Road property is preparing for its next chapter.
Few Sydney addresses carry the same depth of dining history as 134A Glebe Point Road. The cavernous sandstone grotto beneath the heritage-listed house became a cornerstone of the city's dining landscape in the late 1980s when it opened as Darling Mills — the Adey family's pioneering farm-to-table restaurant that helped shape Sydney's modern food culture before shuttering in 2003. Since then, the space has lived several lives, first as an Indian restaurant and, more recently, as moody Parisian-inspired brasserie and cocktail lounge Beckett's. But come February 2026, it'll be reborn once again as Darling Glebe.
The upcoming venue will unfold across five distinct spaces, anchored by a martini bar that pours until midnight and a chef's table offering a French-leaning omakase experience. Original convict-chipped sandstone walls, vaulted ceilings and the weighty tables fashioned from a single native coachwood tree will remain, grounding the room firmly in its past even as the concept takes cues from French brasseries, New York's buzzy dining rooms and London polish.
David Li Photography
These influences are no accident. Leading the revival is globetrotting chef and restaurateur Jeff Schroeter, a Riverina native whose CV spans The Savoy in London, Manhattan's Royalton Hotel, and Sydney institutions Bistro Moncur and Bayswater Brasserie, as well as cooking for high-profile figures including Queen Elizabeth II and Madonna. Over the course of his career, Schroeter has built a reputation for technical confidence and an instinctive feel for the room.
Darling Glebe also marks a personal return for Schroeter, who previously co-founded Beckett's on the same site (the restaurant recently relocated to Spice Alley), before selling his stake to pursue other projects. When the space became available again, he jumped at the chance to help write its next chapter.
David Li Photography
"This space is an heirloom to Sydney diners," Schroeter says. "It's always been one-of-a-kind, and we're proud to be its new custodians. We want to honour it for what it is — a culinary icon of the city's hospitality industry — and in doing so, welcome back those who loved it then, and invite a new generation to fall in love with its spirit now."
Alongside the main dining room and martini bar, Darling Glebe will be home to a private chef's table where Schroeter will personally serve a French omakase menu, plus an intimate private dining room and an underground wine cellar for larger events. He's also assembled a top-shelf team, with two-time Diageo World Class Australian Bartender of the Year Charlie Ainsbury overseeing the drinks program and Sarah Biswas (Odd Culture Group, Restaurant Hubert, Banksii) stepping in as venue manager.
David Li Photography
In a nod to the site's origins, Schroeter plans to source produce from the Adey family's still-thriving Darling Mills Farm and revisit elements from their decades-old recipe book, reinterpreting dishes that once put the venue on the map. As for the broader menu, details remain under wraps — and may continue to be that way even once Darling Glebe opens.
"The room has always told me what it wants me to serve," says Schroeter. "I'm just here to listen."
David Li Photography
David Li Photography
David Li Photography
David Li Photography
David Li Photography
Darling Glebe will open in February 2026 at 134A Glebe Point Road, Glebe, with dinner service from Wednesday to Sunday and Friday lunches to follow. For more information and first access to reservations, head to the venue's website.
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