Overview
The suburb of Parramatta is becoming more of a gastronomic destination by the day, with Rockpool Dining Group now set to reopen Rockpool Bar & Grill and open a new Saké location in the area's highly-anticipated dining and entertainment precinct, 8 Phillip Street.
The Sydney institution that was the three-hatted Rockpool has been closed since mid-2016 , so this new project is particularly exciting. While the Phillip Street precinct will also include 18 storeys of boutique accommodation and 35 storeys of residential apartments, these two restaurants will be completely independent and each have their own separate entrances — spanning a total of 800 square meters of space within the dining precinct.
It's been a busy, busy year for the Rockpool Dining Group, who have been on an eight-month whirlwind of openings since joining forces with Urban Purveyor Group in November 2016. Their combined portfolio of eateries sits now at over 55 venues and they expect it to grow to more than 80 venues in 2017 alone. The group is also set to open a new Rosetta location in the Sydney CBD and is replacing Eleven Bridge with a new Cantonese restaurant, along with Burger Project openings in Brisbane and Parramatta and the launch of two takeaway spinoffs, Fratelli Famous and Saké Jr.
Due to be completed by 2020, 8 Phillip Street will act as an expansion to Church Street's existing 'Eat Street' precinct and will also be home to Sydney's highest rooftop venue, Studio 54 — a 600 pax, 54th floor space with a fitout inspired by the rooftop bars of Bangkok, New York, Shanghai and Singapore. A grand ballroom, multiple event and meeting spaces will also exist within the hub. Combined, these elements are set to solidify Parramatta squarely on Sydneysiders' Saturday night 'to-do' lists.