The InterContinental Sydney Double Bay is adding a touch of glamour to its food and beverage offering with the launch of new service, The Bar, by esteemed Restaurateur and Entrepreneur, Maurice Terzini.
Inspired by the great hotel bars of London, Rome, Paris and New York, The Bar aims to old-world elegance and sophistication to the dining experience with martini trolley bars, table side service, and a decadent cocktail and food menu.
“The best bars and restaurants in the world are inside a hotel,” Terzini said.
“When the opportunity arose, it was too good of an offer to refuse,”
Known for his work with prestigious restaurants such as the Icebergs Dining Room and Bar, CicciaBella, RE, Belongil Beach Italian Food, Terzini will be assisted by his long-standing partner and Director of Operations, Dave Owen, during his residency, as well as Icebergs Dining Room and Bar Head Chef, Alex Prichard.
“InterContinental Double Bay has so much history in the Eastern Suburbs, I have stayed here many times, and drunk in the old bar. We are bringing back elegance to Australian hotel bars with service and high-end quality,” Terzini said.
“I have always had a lifetime mission of owning my own Terzini hotel, this is the perfect apprenticeship.”
Lewin White – formerly of Icebergs, Quay and The Langham – leads as The Bar Head Chef, alongside Hotel Executive Chef Denny Lohanda.
The menu will showcase local produce with a focus on classic Italian, Australian and European dishes.
‘Open to everybody’
Beverage Creative Director, Ana Page, introduces reconstructed classic cocktails with a modern twist, featuring high-end ingredients from gold leaf olives to blends of French and Italian vermouths.
“For us it is all about the guest, The Bar is open to everybody; travellers, locals, Sydneysiders,” Page said.
“We want to create that unforgettable moment for all, you can walk into the room and have a detailed worked cocktail, a martini trolley, or a cocktail mixed right at your table. With the service and the surrounding interiors, you would have thought you were in the sophisticated bars of the 1920s and 30s.”
Sydney-based experiential design practice, Alfred, was recruited to create the aesthetic for The Bar – a project that saw the team delve into the hotel archives to pull out historical pieces, including grand silverware and signed photographs of some of the hotel’s many famous guests.
“The colour work is bold, but somehow still feels conservative,” the Alfred team said.
“It was really important to us that the room transitions throughout the day as the natural light fades and service occasions change from day into night.
“The artwork commissions by Vicki Lee are deliberate and essential, and the programming of live piano and jazz ensembles inform the identity of this new space.”
The Bar will welcome back leading piano vocal entertainer, Scot Finnie, to entertain diners three nights a week, and Playlister FM Director and Founder, Dan Lywood, has been enlisted to curate music for the venue.