C
hefLiamTomlinremembersexactlywherehewas
thenightthatCathyFreemanranthe 400 metres.
Hewasat Banc,mid-service:everyseatinthemuch-
fêtedrestaurantwasfull,whileoutside,Martin
Placethrongedwithtouristsandlocalswhopackedindaily
towatchtheOlympicGamesonsupersized screens.
“Whenherracecameon,theentirerestaurantgotupand
left,”recallsTomlin. “Theylefttheirfood,theirwine... everybody
walkedoutontothestreet.Thestafftoo,becausetherewasno
onelefttoserve.Thenas soonas theracewasover,weallcame
backinandjustcarriedon.It wasanamazingatmosphere.”
Intheyear2000,thatatmospherewaseverywhere.A mix
ofnewmillenniumoptimismandtheheadypromiseoftourist
dollarshadsweptthroughthehospitalityindustryandbrought
withit a constellationofnewrestaurantopenings.Theinner
eastaloneboastedMarque,Otto,Cicada,Salt,Longrain,Buon
RicordoandMGGarage,whileAria,Rockpool,Bel Mondo,
Guillaumeat BennelongandQuayviedforattentiononthe
Harbour;andBanc,FortyOne,Est,AmpersandandTetsuya’s
litupthecitycentre.
“TherewasanabundanceofbrillianttalentinSydneyandan
amazingdiningscene,”saysTomlin.“Inthosedays,theinterior
designofrestaurantswasincredible– a lotofmoneywentintoit.”
Bancwasnoexception.It wasthekindofpeerlesslylocated,
studiedlyglamoroushotspotthattypifiedmillennium-era
Sydney:luxurious,finessed,astonishinglyexpensive.The
diningroomwasinevitablyfilledwithbankers,lawyers,judges
andpoliticians;high-fl yersandpowerbrokerswhotooklong
lunchesonexpenseaccountsamidthegreenmarbleand
mirrors.TheOlympicskickedthingsupa notch– Tomlin
recalls a night it was so busy in Martin Place that they couldn’tAbove,fromleft:CathyFreeman
competesattheSydneyOlympic
Gamesin2000;Banc’sLiamTomlin.
PREVIOUSPAGESSydneyHarbour
during the 2000 Olympic Games.66 GOURMET TRAVELLER