Overview
When Hartsyard owners Dorothy Lee and Jarrod Walsh announced they were stepping away from the beloved Enmore Road venue in June, they left the door open for something to come in its place. Four months on, with the restaurant officially closed, the Hartsyard crew has announced what they have in stall for the space — Irene's Enmore.
This new neighbourhood restaurant will be headed up by chef Neville Dsouza who has previously worked the kitchens of Gowings at QT Sydney, Yellow and Cirrus. Dsouza is aiming to maintain the friendly, welcoming nature of Hartsyard while introducing a flavour and produce-driven vegetable- and seafood-heavy menu.
Irene's is named after Dsouza's aunt. "She was beautiful and full of life and always cooked Sunday lunch for the whole family. It is the reason why Neville cooks and this new joint is in her memory," a statement from Lee and Walsh reads.
On the menu you'll find inventive takes on comfort food, ranging from fried okra, burnt eggplant and crumbed fried pork, to fried chicken with fermented chilli and grilled prawns with a garlic cream. Another element of the menu is a holistic approach to serving goat, with the likes of goat curry, goat sausages and charcuterie popping up in order to make use of the whole animal. Drinks wise, there will be a curated wine list and Dsouza's favourite Indian beer Kingfisher Larger.
Irene's Enmore will open on Friday, November 4.
As for Lee and Walsh, the duo are transitioning their talents to The Old Clare Hotel in Chippendale (a perennial inclusion in our list of the best hotels in Sydney).
The pair will be bringing favourites from the Hartsyard menu and a range of exciting new dishes to the multi-space hotel. The move to The Old Clare will see them revamp the food and drink offerings across both the hotel's ground-floor watering hole The Clare Bar and its popular poolside rooftop bar, plus Lee and Walsh will be opening an entirely new restaurant at the venue.
Irene's Enmore is located at 33 Enmore Road, Newtown. It's opening on Friday, November 4 and will be open 6–10pm Monday and Thursday, and 5pm–late Friday–Sunday.