V
isitors to Cirrus, a sleek new Sydney restaurant
in the emerging waterside precinct of
Barangaroo, may be slightly discombobulated
on arrival. Suspended from the ceiling is
a 1950s ski boat with a timber finish, black
leather interior and white steering wheel.
The elevated vessel, called Alvin — which
recalls a speedboat from an Elvis Presley
movie of the time — is a sly joke played by architect and designer
Pascale Gomes-McNabb. When imagining this contemporary
seafood restaurant, she dismissed hackneyed marine motifs such as
anchors, aquariums and fish prints. Instead, she selected a more
lateral and whimsical accessory — a vintage boat plucked from eBay.
“It’s a cheeky reference to seafood,” she says.
The splashy Cirrus is the latest outing for chef Brent Savage and
sommelier Nick Hildebrandt, the acclaimed restaurateurs behind
a troika of Sydney ventures. Bentley Restaurant + Bar is their award-
winning, fine-dining restaurant in the Sydney CBD; Monopole is
a handsome wine bar in Potts Point; while nearby Yellow is their ode
to haute vegetarian food.
If a design aesthetic connects the three restaurants, all of which
were hatched by the Melbourne-based Gomes-McNabb, it’s a moody
and industrial one. “We’re sort of dark people, and Pascale is even
darker,” says Savage, smiling. So Cirrus, which is luminous, languid
and exuberantly lighthearted, makes for a dramatic addition to their
empire. “We want it to be fun, friendly and accessible,” says Hildebrandt.
Lendlease property group first approached the pair about the
restaurant in 2009 and it came to fruition this year. The seafood
concept stemmed from the harbourside environs, while the building
itself inspired the restaurant’s name. Cirrus occupies the ground
floor of the Richard Francis-Jones-designed Anadara building,
a residential block whose northern aspect is swathed in a carapace of
laser-cut, powder-coated aluminium. The curvilinear building evokes
an abstract cloud, or perhaps a pale cockleshell. Its sinuous footprint
— while “strangely beautiful”, as Hildebrandt avers — is the antithesis
of a symmetrical box. “It was an extremely challenging space to work
with,” the designer says, likening the room to an Alvar Aalto vase.The unorthodox interior was home to Noma Australia for its
10-week residency earlier this year, but Gomes-McNabb has
completely reanimated it. If anyone could locate the silver lining on
this cloud, it was her. As one of the country’s most accomplished
hospitality architects, she is known for her resolutely practical
approach. “For me, it’s about a reaction to the building and ensuring
it works in terms of functionality,” she says.
That said, there is plenty of visual interest. A custom-made
banquette of timber dowel wraps around the glass-walled perimeter,
while the rest of the seating consists of marble- and brass-top tables.
The dowels are echoed above, tracing the curve of the ceiling like
wooden stalactites. The designer prescribed stainless steel for
benches, the L-shaped bar and a wine fridge, but had the material
blasted with ball bearings to imbue it with a patina and mitigate rust.
Cirrus has an open kitchen, some of which is strategically obscured
by a wall of shelving for wine bottles. The same timber encloses the
outside dining area, which brings guests even closer to the water’s edge.
In terms of the menu, Savage is focusing on seasonal, sustainable
and exquisitely flavoured local fish. “It’s a seafood restaurant for the
here and now,” says the inventive chef. One of the signature dishes is
Northern Territory mud crab served with tarragon and green garlic
sauce, at once heart-stoppingly sweet and savoury.
For his part, Hildebrandt has assembled a compelling library of
500 mostly white wines. “It’s serious food and wine in a casual
setting,” he says, but there are some distinctly recherché elements,
including four types of caviar. “It’s a bit of a leap of faith,” adds
Hildebrandt, with the din of Barangaroo construction noise rising in
the background. “It’s an unproven location, but we truly believe this
will be one of the busiest hubs in the city.” VL
Cirrus, 23 Barangaroo Avenue, Barangaroo; (02) 9220 0111; cirrusdining.com.au.clockwise from left:co-owners Nick Hild
(left) and Brett Savage. Grilled WA marron, le
fruit and sea banana. Exterior of ‘TheCONCIERGE