Overview
Since it opened in late 2021, Odd Culture's ferment-forward wine bar and diner on King Street has established itself as a cornerstone of Newtown's hospitality scene. Then came Spon, in mid-2023 — a hybrid bar and bottle shop specialising in craft brews, boutique drops and pours by the glass. In February this year, the Odd Culture team — who also operate beloved Sydney pubs The Old Fitz and The Duke of Enmore — added kooky late-night cocktail den Pleasure Club to their Newtown empire. Now, a fourth venture is Newtown-bound, transforming the mezzanine of the King Street flagship into an elevated bistro — and not just another cookie-cutter steak frites joint. Bistro Grenier will be a refined spot for an intimate soirée, where diners can experience classic French fare at its best.
To realise this new venue, Odd Culture has tapped the skills of Executive Chef James MacDonald — formerly of Sydney's Restaurant Hubert and London's pioneering nose-to-tail eatery St John. MacDonald has developed a menu that celebrates traditional recipes while adding modern flourishes, leaning on heartier, rustic dishes showcasing low-waste butchering.
For example, the côtelette de porc will feature a juicy Berkshire pork chop served alongside braised boneless trotters, dressed with prunes and served with a side of sugar loaf cabbage, while the house-made boudin noir uses yet more of the beast, pairing smoked pork jowl and pigs blood with caramelised apples and a lightly whipped pomme puree.
Other dishes will offer more playful riffs on tricolore favourites, like the pudding chômeur — a self-saucing maple syrup dessert finished with buttermilk ice cream inspired by Head Chef Jesse Warkentin's Canadian heritage.
Vino-philes have plenty to get excited about. A list of French drops including vintage gems and rare allocation bottles from Odd Culture's extensive cellar will be available exclusively in the bistro. There will also be a range of Gallic digestives and apéritifs behind the bar, including ricard pastis, picon bière aperitif, vin jaune and chartreuse.
"Our restaurant is now three years old, and with almost our full opening kitchen team still on the pans, we decided it was time to shake things up a bit," says James Thorpe, Odd Culture Group's CEO and director. "We decided to break free of the yoke of "modern Australian" and try something a bit more familiar for a while. We want to make it really approachable, cosy and warm — but at the same time use the knowledge and library we've built of flavour building ferments to put something really special on the plate."
The fitout of what was formerly an underutilised loft storage space will channel a luxurious yet bohemian vibe, with deep burgundy peaked ceilings and walls, dark timber panelling, and a soft lighting design summons the spirit of Parisian salon. Meanwhile, fans of the King Street OG have nothing to fear. The existing downstairs wine bar will remain the pillar of Newtown's drinking scene Sydneysiders know and love.
Bistro Grenier is set to open in late August at 266 King Street, Newtown.