ACME Opens Bar Brose in Darlinghurst

The crew who brought you ACME, the elegant, understated and Italian-ish eatery in Rushcutters Bay, are back (and more powerful than you could ever imagine) with their new project Bar Brose.

As you may have guessed, Bar Brose is a wine bar that's just opened in Darlinghurst. The nod at rose is a bit of a red herring as they serve up a broad range (a very broad range) of drinks. Their French-inspired menu is just as you would imagine; minimalist and varied, with fair whack of dessert options. Chef Analiese Gregory, formerly of Quay, is the force behind the food, comandeering a menu which includes adventurous dishes such kingfish, quince juice, apple and geranium ($18) and aged beef tartare with coffee and pickled raspberries ($18) alongside more traditional titles: spaghetti carbonara ($20) and Iceberg salad ($10).

Gregory's menu sees simple but rich flavour combos, really embodying that Frenchy feel. She's got a penchant for desserts too and you may be tempted to skip dinner entirely and jump right ahead to a buffalo yogurt sorbet with maraschino cherries and meringue ($12) or the crisp potato, brown butter mousse and salted caramel concoction ($12). Potato for dessert! See, we told you.

Venue manager Matty Hirsch says the project was a result of opportunity and planning when the space became available. "The Passage closed its doors in December of last year, but the license was just too good to give up — late trading hours and the ability to function as both a bar and restaurant," he says. "There are plenty of patrons at ACME who ask where to go for an after-dinner drink and the neighbourhood seemed to be missing this kind of spot."

Though they sprung from the same loins, there are a few important differences between Bar Brose and Acme, the most notable of which is the abundance of women in the kitchen. "There are most definitely quite a few ladies in the house," says Hirsch. "It's… not to prove a point or make a statement, but women always bring a different and special touch to service, wine and food and it's important to showcase that." Right on, Bar Brose.

Find Bar Brose at 231A Victoria Street, Darlinghurst. Open Wednesday - Thursday 5pm - 12am; Friday - Saturday 5pm - 1.30am; Sunday 3pm - 12am.

Images: Bodhi Liggett.