Ex-Rockpool Executive Chef Phil Wood Is Opening His First Sydney Restaurant in Paddington

Phil Wood, an ex-Executive Chef of Rockpool for eight years and previous Culinary Director of Mornington Peninsula's much-loved Pt. Leo Estate, is set to open a new restaurant in Paddington. Housed in the former site of Attilio Marinangeli and Aldo Zuzza's renowned restaurant, Darcy's, Wood's yet-to-be-named venture will be his first independent restaurant in Sydney.

"Restaurants are more than just food - they are the full expression of hospitality and I feel after a 20 year long chef's apprenticeship I am finally ready to add restaurateur to my job description," Wood said in an announcement of the restaurant on Wednesday, May 26.

The striking Hargrave Street spot has housed several other chefs throughout its lifetime. The building was originally built in the late 19th century as a house and shop, and in its first half-century, it was run as a pub and a grocer. D'Arcy Glover was the first restaurateur to take up residency with a Swiss eatery in 1968. Then, Marinangeli and Zuzza took over in 1975 with the opening of Darcy's Restaurant, a beloved Italian eatery that occupied the spot for nearly 40 years.

The most recent restaurant to occupy the corner building was Guillaume Brahimi's  flagship Sydney restaurant Guillaume. Brahimi made the dramatic move to Paddington in 2013 after running Guillaume out of the Sydney Opera House for over a decade. While the restaurant didn't last on Hargrave Street, Brahimi went on to take over fellow Paddington venue Four in the Hand and opened a Guillaume in the CBD.

Wood said he's excited to continue the building's legacy, stating: "It is an honour to be opening in a building with such a strong dining history that goes back over 50 years. These corner sites dotted throughout Paddington are so special and part of what makes the suburb a vibrant part of Sydney's story."

The opening date and further details on the Paddington venture are set to be revealed in the coming months.

 

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Phil Wood will open his first restaurant at 92 Hargrave Street, Paddington.

Images: Chloe Paul