Overview
The elevated dishes at British-born chef Nelly Robinson's Surry Hills degustation restaurant NEL bear little resemblance to the burgers and parmis you'll find at the local boozer. However, pub grub, albeit of a different sort, has been on the mind of this culinary maestro for some time.
Classic corner pub The Nag's Head — a Glebe institution since 1836 — is now home to Robinson's first new venue in a decade: Winstons, a refined UK-themed gastropub concept, opening September 19, where guests will experience the multi-course wizardry Robinson is famed for via a seven-dish tasting menu inspired by Great British cuisine.
Winstons
Launching a new restaurant has been on Robinson's to-do list for several years. "NEL is ten years old next year, which I don't think a lot of people realise," he explains. "I've been mulling over taking on other projects for a while and for a long time, I thought that would mean going overseas, looking to earn some Michelin stars. But when [the owners of The Nag's Head] approached me, it was just such an exciting idea. I was brought up in British pubs, so getting to launch this project is all about nostalgia for me. It's about thinking about my father, my grandfather and really channelling the spirit of the pubs I grew up around."
While many Aussie hotels can claim to have excellent food offerings, Robinson is aiming to set a new gold standard. Winstons is the nation's first true gastropub — that is to say, a fine dining restaurant within a pub in the same vein as the lauded chef-led ventures that have proven so popular in the UK, such as Heston Blumenthal's Michelin-starred The Hind's Head in Bray, or The Three Fishes, helmed by Robinson's former mentor Nigel Haworth.
Beef cheek Wellington
"I was training with Nigel [Haworth] when I was 17 and that's when he decided to open the first gastropub in the UK. I was fortunate enough to be part of that opening team, so seeing that you can take restaurant-level food and do it like that, in that setting, that's been in my brain ever since," Robinson shares. "But when I got to Sydney 13 years ago, I realised there really wasn't anything like that here. So I saw that gap in the market and thought, well let's wait, let's work. Of course, NEL was the first venue I launched and that has been my passion for the past ten years, but the gastropub thing has always been in the back of my mind.
"What really inspired me to pull the trigger on it now was a trip I took back to the UK two years ago. I ate at Heston's in Bray, Tom Kitchen's pub in Edinburgh, Jason Atherton's [The Blind Pig] too, and it really brought it home to me, that as a chef, once you have your signature restaurant — and you know, NEL is my home — you can branch out and do other things. So now, launching a gastropub, I really want it to be something different, somewhere where people come to be with family and friends."
"I was brought up in British pubs, so getting to launch this project is all about nostalgia for me."
Winstons is only one part of Robinson's reinvention of The Nag's Head's dining options. In addition to the degustation offering — which stars the beef-cheek Wellington that was ranked the second best dish in the world in 2023 by The World's 50 Best Restaurants' "Taste Hunters" — the front bar, known simply as The Pub, is serving a less formal menu celebrating the favourite feeds of the British.
Traditional dishes, like fish pies, beef cheek and peppercorn pies, and fish and chips are on offer alongside nods to the UK's more worldly fare, such as a fried tandoori chicken burger as a wink to the Brits' obsession with curry, and prawn toast, just like the kind from the local Chinese takeaway.
Beef cheek and peppercorn pie
Every Sunday, punters can enjoy a traditional British roast, complete with Robinson's gourmet flare, for $35. The meats — be it a house-smoked chicken with truffle butter, a slow-cooked lamb shoulder with mint jelly or a succulent beef joint — will rotate weekly, served with all the trimmings, including the all-important roast potatoes and of course, Yorkshire puddings.
In addition to the trio of dining options already available — The Pub menu, Winstons' tasting menu and the Sunday roast — Robinson has one more quintessentially British experience to share with Sydney: afternoon tea, which will include a range of sweet and savoury treats alongside speciality teas and signature cocktails — served in teapots, naturally. This menu will be available later in the summer.
The Nag's Head Sunday roast
The rear of The Nag's Head has already undergone a slick renovation to accommodate Winstons, but Robinson's long-term vision for the pub includes yet more upgrades that will transform the building into a multi-venue dining destination.
Part of the front bar is set to become a deli, where customers can buy a Nelly Robinson fish pie or beef cheek pie to cook at home, along with other luxury groceries. A new in-house brewery and distillery is also incoming, producing craft ales and boutique spirits. A new fitout throughout the rest of the venue will underline the traditional British theme, while on the upper floor there will be spaces for larger parties and functions.
Kingfish tandoori, available in The Pub
While this multifaceted endeavour may sound ambitious, particularly in an economic status quo that has forced an unsettling number of Sydney restaurants to fold, Robinson believes that creating a venue as versatile and unique as The Nag's Head will be a hit with Sydneysiders.
"The point is, this is a place that people can enjoy. There's no pressure. You want a snack and a pint? You can get that in The Pub. You feel like something a bit more special. You can get that at Winstons for $80. You want somewhere you can bring the family, the kids, friends? That's what we're doing here. We want it to be a place that's fun. I think Sydney's ready for that."
Curried mussels, available in The Pub
Find The Nag's Head at 162 St Johns Road, Glebe, open Sunday–Tuesday, midday–10pm; Wednesday–Thursday, midday–11pm; and Friday–Saturday, midday to midnight. For more details, visit The Nag's Head website.
Images: Paul R Fear