A three-level restaurant, Btwn, has been announced for the shiny new W Sydney hotel in Darling Harbour, which is due to open in October. Its name is inspired by its location “between” the area’s expressways (the hotel is located where the Imax theatre once stood). Overlooking the harbour, the restaurant will be open from breakfast till late at night, with guests moving between spaces – including the main dining room, a cocktail bar and a dessert bar – as the day progresses.
Btwn will be led by Chris Dodd (ex-Aria, Blue Door), with a menu that reflects the seasons and provenance of its locally sourced produce. Opening-menu highlights include poached Aquna Murray cod with pickled Eden mussels and Moonacres Farm cavolo nero; slow-cooked, yoghurt-rubbed Gundagai lamb shoulder; and a spicy Mussett Holdings mushroom ragout. A list of old- and new-world wines will have a bias towards NSW and Australian drops.
One of the restaurant’s main drawcards will be 2am: Dessertbar, an outpost of pastry chef Janice Wong’s popular late-night Singapore eatery dedicated to all things sweet. Wong has twice been named Asia’s pastry chef of the year by World’s 50 Best, and has dessert bars and chocolatiers in Singapore, London, Korea and Tokyo. Expect creations like the Cacao Forest (chocolate mousse, passionfruit chocolate, and mango, lime and lychee consommé) matched with wines and cocktails.
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SIGN UPThe W is also taking things to new heights (get it?) with a new double-level bar called 29/30. As the name suggests, it will be split across levels 29 and 30 of the new hotel, with sweeping views of Darling Harbour that you can take in from a 30-metre, mosaic-inlaid infinity pool. Level 29 will offer a luxury-wine list, cocktails and a Basque-inspired tapas menu. Level 30 takes things up a notch with vintage champagne by the glass and a superyacht-inspired fit-out from London-based interior designers Bowler James Brindley.
W Sydney will open on October 12, 2023 with 585 rooms and suites, a two-storey rooftop bar, and an infinity pool overlooking Darling Harbour.