Primus Hotel has always been a bit of a dark horse. It sits tucked into Pitt Street, just down from Bathurst Street, another tall tower in the CBD, until you walk inside. Somewhere between stepping inside Gringotts in the Magical World of Harry Potter, and the foyer of the Empire State Building, the Primus is one of Sydney’s most beautiful Art Deco buildings. The ground floor is cavernous, with reception, the lounge and The Wilmot Restaurant now taking up what was once the Sydney Water Board Headquarters.
After two years in operation, the hotel has made a few tweaks that have put it back on our radar for all the right reasons.
Firstly, this is Sydney, and if you’re after fine dining without the crazy price tag, you’re in trouble. Not any more. The Wilmot is fine dining without the white tablecloths, and miniscule serving sizes. With a brand new chef at the helm, and a sizeable dining room, it’s a great spot for date nights, girls dinners or even a group get together. There’s plenty of space and dining options – with a la carte, three course options and sharing dishes. Executive Chef Daniel Menzies comes to the Wilmot with a stellar pedigree, having worked with heavyweights like Guy Savoy and Guillaume Brahimi. He’s not afraid to mix things up in the kitchen with dishes like a melt in your mouth pumpkin soufflé that’s just the right amount of cheesy, Rangers Valley Wagyu Sirloin with the crispiest potato galette we’ve had in a long time, and a peanut butter ice cream sandwich we wanted to pick up in our hands and devour in two bites. With a strong focus on paddock to plate, and a commitment to local producers, the kitchen at The Wilmot is doing all of the good things.
Secondly, it’s Friday night. You want somewhere to have a drink outside. Not in a basement or crammed in a corner, but somewhere you can see a patch of blue sky. With cocktails. And a few nibbles that aren’t all deep fried. We might have said “good luck with that”, until Level Seven came along.
Our favourite boutique hotel the Primus has primped its rooftop bar to perfection. A new cocktail menu, a delectable food menu, lots of bottles of Veuve Clicquot, oh and did we mention homemade cocktail popsicles?
Level Seven is not just a pool bar, although hotel guests do get to lounge by the above ground pool, and drink their cocktails, and yes we are jealous of them, but the bar is open to the public. The cocktails are fresh and fruity, you can’t really go wrong, but our hot tip is to try the popsicles. Made onsite, they’re served perched on top of a matching cocktail.
Whether you want to wine and dine in the dining room, or soak up Sydney’s sun with a popsicle in hand, this Summer the Primus is on point.
Primus Hotel Sydney
339 Pitt St, Sydney
T: (02) 8027 8000
