Newtown's Hartsyard Will Close to Undergo a Major Transformation

If Hartsyard's fried chicken, pulled pork, lamb ribs and poutine have formed your four main food groups for the past six years, it's time to say goodbye. The much-worshipped Newtown eatery is about to go through a metamorphosis. On December 23, it'll disappear into hibernation, only to reemerge a couple of weeks later as a new, more whizz-bang version of itself.

It'll be Hartsyard 2.0. Out of the kitchen will be the deep frier, along with all the aforementioned staples. In their place will appear a charcoal grill and a revamped, tightly edited menu featuring just ten or so dishes.

"After six years, we just decided it was time to head in a new direction and change things up a bit," said head chef George Llewellyn. "Sydney embraced us when we launched and before we knew it we were a runaway train serving more fried chicken and softies than I thought was possible."

Now Llewellyn wants to focus on the food he "really likes to cook" and, he hopes, "people will want to eat". Though we don't have any nitty gritty details, we do know you can expect loads more veggies, as well as seafood and duck. To mark the change, the space will receive a bit of a makeover, with new art, new furniture, a coat of paint and a floor polish.

Llewellyn's partner and co-owner Naomi Hart will continue to lead the Hartsyard team, in collaboration with general manager Mark Rowland, so you can continue to count on warm service and a friendly atmosphere. Meanwhile, there's no change afoot at The Gretz, Hartsyard's sister venue down the road.

Hartsyard will remain open until Saturday, December 23 at 33 Enmore Road, Newtown, and reopen in January 2018. For more info, visit hartsyard.com.au.