Song Bird

Overview

It's a huge deal, in more ways than one: the biggest names in Australian dining have opened one of, if not the biggest new restaurant in Sydney of the year. Neil and Samantha Perry's multi-level Chinese restaurant Song Bird is the latest — and according to Perry, the final — addition to their Double Bay empire, which already features the iconic chef's fine-dining steakhouse Margaret, the first Sydney outpost of Baker Bleu and basement martini bar Bobbie's.

Taking over the heritage-listed Gaden House on Bay Street, the opening of Song Bird is the culmination of more than two-and-a-half years of planning, including a major internal refit and the installation of state-of-the-art kitchens on each service floor. It draws on Neil Perry's long-held affinity for Asian cuisine, showcasing the delicacy and breadth of Cantonese dishes, interpreted through Perry's Modern Australian lens.

It's not just the venue itself that's going big. The menu, created by Perry in partnership with Head Chef Mark Lee, with feature a whopping 70 dishes showcasing the best locally sourced produce. Think juicy Spencer Gulf king prawn dumplings; Peking-style Wollemi ducks, sourced from Copper Tree Farms; and crisp whole-fried Sun Farm chickens with Sichuan salt, pepper and lemon.

The wine list would not look out of place at one of Perry's former Rockpool Group venues, with an impressively worldly selection of 250 internationally-sourced bottles to choose from. Australian wines — particularly chardonnays and pinot noirs — get a strong showing, as well as lesser-known varieties such as assyrtiko, furmint and fiano. Classics from Europe make up the rest of the list, including a big selection of champagnes from both the major vineyards and smaller producers. In part, this variety is a showcase of the diversity of the wine industry in 2024, but it's also to engineer affordability into the offering, with cheaper bottles around the $70 mark sharing the menu with more prestigious (and pricier) vintages.

While the wine offering is largely Antipodean and European, the signature cocktail list takes its inspiration from China. The Lucky 8 menu, much like the food offering, combines a blend of Asian flavours with a wink to the west, such as the martini No. 88, a mingle of Hendricks gin, elderflower, cucumber, lime and cucumber bitters and Perrier. There's also the Han Old Fashioned, combining Old Forester rye, Remy Martin, plum liqueur, clarified plum and plum bitters, finished with a spritz of five spice spray.

The interiors, designed by ACME and Caon Design Office, have navigated the need to preserve the original character of architect Neville Gruzman's Gaden House while delivering a look and feel that connects with Song Bird's eastern essence. A series of key materials and details are repeated across the entire design and these have been developed to create a sense of warmth inspired by the spice and heat of Asian cuisine.

Fluted timber panelling, stained a deep red, and various types of marble and granite used throughout the venue create a sense of tactile richness and luxury. As guests enter through the main door on Cooper Street, they are met by the original spiral staircase which forms the spine of the interior design and facilitates the main traffic between the three levels of the venue — a grand aesthetic statement that both underlines the scope and ambition of the restaurant as well as celebrating the history of the building.

Images: Petrina Tinslay