Overview
UPDATE: AUGUST 2019 — Little Felix is now open.
If Merivale wasn't already enough of a hospitality giant, it has today announced that it's preparing to open another four CBD venues in 2019. All four will open in the group's Ivy Precinct — which is already home to Bar Topa, Felix, Palings, Ash St Cellar, The Royal George and Ivy Pool Club, Den and Lounge. Expect a Felix-style cocktail bar, a casual Middle Eastern eatery, a sister to Bondi's Italian restaurant Totti's and a new Mexican joint on the horizon.
First up is Little Felix — a smaller version of of Ash Street's hatted French bistro — which will open along George Street this July. Head Chef Nathan Johnson has created a dedicated menu of French bites for the 60-seat cocktail bar, with the focus on charcuterie and cheese, as well as French wine by the glass and classic cocktails.
It'll be followed by a casual Lebanese eatery headed by ex-Rockpool Chef Simon Zalloua (also previously of Sefa Kitchen), who will dish up mostly vegetarian fare at this venture. The restaurant, opposite Wynyard Station, will be split between a front takeaway counter and a back bar and diner. The latter will serve up mezze-style share plates and charcoal grill dishes.
Bondi's Totti's by Nikki To.
Then a Totti's-inspired Italian bar will join the CBD crew on Palings Lane. While details for this one are slim, Totti's Head Chef Mike Eggert will be serving up his beloved woodfired bread and antipasto plates. Also to join the ranks down the line is a Mexican eatery and bar — but those details have remained well under wraps.
The openings coincide with the big Light Rail reveal and the soon-to-launch George Street pedestrian zone that comes along with it, as well as City of Sydney's newly approved late-night trading plan. This phase of Merivale's 'Ivy 2.0' project is the first step toward entirely redeveloping the site, but that won't come into play for many years to come. We'll keep you in the loop as we learn more about all of the new Merivale happenings.
Merivale's new CBD openings will begin with Little Felix in July 2019.