Darling Glebe
Heritage and style combine in spectacular form in this subterranean bistro, where the past is honoured in reimagined classic dishes cut from a new cloth.
Overview
One of Sydney's most historic spaces has officially entered the next stage of its life, with the Darling Mills site of 134A Glebe Point Rd, previously hosting pioneering farm-to-table eateries, an Indian restaurant and the moody cocktail lounge Becketts — now it's been reborn as the subterranean bistro Darling Glebe. A labour of love for its creators, the space is divided into a martini bar just past the entrance, a main dining room, an omakase-style chefs' table, two private downstairs dining rooms and a purpose-built wine cave.
There's a distinct heritage feel throughout, thanks to convict-cut sandstone blocks that meet vaulted ceilings and brick sourced from the remains of Edmund Blackett's original St John's Church. But that doesn't mean it's dusty and aged, those surfaces combine with a polished floor, velvet-wrapped columnades, silk Hermès scarves and vintage cut-crystal and hand-etched glass detailing.
It's the physical manifestation of the influences for Chef and Restaurateur Jeff Schroeter, a Riverina native whose CV spans The Savoy in London, Manhattan's Royalton Hotel, Sydney institutions Bistro Moncur and Bayswater Brasserie (and a stint as a co-owner for the site's previous life as Beckett's), as well as cooking for high-profile figures including Queen Elizabeth II and Madonna.
The menu features a revived 130-year-old oyster Rockefeller recipe as well as escargot en cocotte with a puff pastry lid (essentially a gloriously buttery escargot pie), Archie Rose Gin and beetroot-cured King Salmon with Yarra Valley salmon pearls, crushed cucumber and shaved fennel, strawberry foie gras (born as a delicious kitchen accident) and duck à l'orange with orange kumquat glaze and Archie Rose Sunrise Lime Gin. Save room for desserts like Little Marionette Coffee 18 creme brulee and chocolate fondant with burnt honey cream and chocolate shavings.
Schroeter has also assembled a top-shelf operations team, with two-time Diageo World Class Australian Bartender of the Year Charlie Ainsbury overseeing the drinks program and Sarah Biswas (Odd Culture Group, Restaurant Hubert, Banksii) stepping in as venue manager.
In a nod to the site's origins, Schroeter sources produce from the Adey family's still-thriving Darling Mills Farm and plans to revisit elements from their decades-old recipe book, reinterpreting dishes that once put the venue on the map. "The room has always told me what it wants me to serve," says Schroeter. "I'm just here to listen."
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