Surry Hills' Fire Damaged Nomad Is Moving to a New Location — Temporarily

As it turns out, not even an electrical fire can keep Nomad down. Al and Rebecca Yazbek's acclaimed Surry Hills Mediterranean diner suffered extensive damage after a fire broke out in the restaurant's ceiling in early September, but the show's far from over.

While the Foster Street restaurant site undergoes a hefty rebuild and some much-needed repair work, Nomad will keep chugging along, albeit in a slightly different format, when it pops up around the corner at 85 Commonwealth Street for a three-month residency.

This new space was previously home to modern Thai institution Longrain and most recently the much-hyped Orana in Residence pop-up, so it's safe to say Nomad is joining some pretty good company.

Orana in Residence by Nikki To

Nomad Up The Road — as the pop-up is called — will take the form of a sophisticated 140 seater, decked out with much of the original restaurant's artwork and furniture. It'll have front-row seating along the open kitchen, as well as roomy, group-friendly tables, and a private dining area for 24.

Chef Jacqui Challinor will continue to head things up in the kitchen, but without Nomad's famed woodfired oven you can expect a few changes to the food. On the menu, long-standing favourites like the kingfish ceviche, duck mortadella and that creamy cannellini bean hummus will join a slew of new inventions. And, who knows, maybe some of the new Commonwealth Street hits will win permanent menu residency once the original restaurant's back up and running again.

Set to open its doors on Friday, November 1, Nomad Up The Road will be dishing up lunch and dinner from Monday to Saturday, as well as a new weekly edition of Saturday's ever-popular bottomless rosé sessions. Nomad's Foster Street space will open with a suite of upgrades early in 2020.

Find Nomad Up The Road at 85 Commonwealth Street, Surry Hills, from November 1. The OG Foster Street restaurant is slated to reopen in early 2020.