Overview
A seductive new Sydney dining and drinking venue by the Cîroc Collective is opening this Friday, just above Infinity Bakery on Darlo’s main drag. Housed across two levels of the contemporary, loft-style space is the Salon de Thé (translates to tearoom in French) and the Bar de Thé. The restaurant will focus on French-Vietnamese fusion cuisine, while on the upper level, the Bar de The will be Sydney’s first martini bar.
You may not have heard of Cîroc Collective before, but we’re pretty sure you’ll soon be hearing a lot more of them. It’s a recent alliance between exclusive CÎROC vodka (made from fine French grapes) and five Australian entrepreneurs with their eyes on luxe drinking concepts across Australia. Acclaimed restaurateur Maurice Terzini (Icebergs, Da Orazio) has united his restaurant expertise with the crew behind the ksubi fashion label: Paul Wilson (The Flinders Hotel, Duke Bistro), George Gorrow, Dan Single and Mikey Nolan. Although the group draws upon a variety of restaurant and bar industry experience, as a collective, Salon de Thé and Bar de Thé marks the launch of their first collaborative venture.
In order to suit Sydney’s more laidback lifestyle, Salon de The will be serving something a little different to the typically refined French dining options, by adding a Vietnamese twist. French chef Julien Perraudin has been lured from Melbourne to design a menu that uses seasonal produce to create food that is light, fragrant and complex. He utilises aromatic influences, and the use of infusions and tea smoking aligns perfectly with the restaurant's core concept.
Casual French fare in the form of luxe street style bar food is set to complement the sophisticated cocktails at Bar de Thé. There will be the signature CÎROC tea infusion cocktails made especially from house blend organic teas — again, paying homage to the name, as well as just showing some flare. Sommelier Rocco Esposito offers patrons a selection of local and international wines, as well as an extensive champagne menu to accompany the French/Vietnamese-inspired food.
Bar de Thé and Salon de Thé will be open at 225 Victoria Street, Darlinghurst on August 8. Opening hours are Monday - Saturday from 5pm - midnight.
Words and images by Eddie Hart.