The sun is setting as commuters dash like ants across the streets in all directions heading home, to get a drink, catch up with friends or on some other meaningful quest. Our quest tonight is to meet ‘Georgie’.
What used to be a soulless hotel foyer on the corner of George and Bond street on the has been transformed into a sleek sexy bar and restaurant, with more than your average snackables on offer. We have high expectations of French chef Gil Ghidalia trained in Michelin restaurants
(ex head chef at 52 Faubourg in Paris and much loved Shell House in Sydney).
Georgie is part of Mantra 2 Bond Street. There is a door for the bar and another on the corner for reception. We hardly notice that we are dining in a hotel. Nor does it feel like it.
It’s 6pm and the place is buzzing. Manhattan styling is everywhere from the orb downlights with copper trim, harlequin black n white chequered floor tiles to the art deco touches of frosted glass, arches and menu typography.
There are high chairs and tiled tables by the windows, offering views of bustling George Street and a magnificent bar shimmering in the low lights, stocked with a tempting range of spirits and wines. Green palm trees in elegant white pots soften the look, complemented by quirky touches like sky-high columns topped with bespoke bookshelves that resemble wooden bracelets. After a few bottles, you might find yourself wondering whose shoulders you want to climb on to retrieve and an settle in with a novel!
The merger between the bar and restaurant is seamless, with the design transitioning into a sexy, cozy atmosphere featuring moody dark carpets and banquet-style sage green seating. We settle into our nook, backed by a wall adorned with black-and-white photos of New York, from flappers to the Brooklyn Bridge.
The friendly staff deliver glasses of Taittinger Champagne for an amazing $22—a steal in the city right now! The well-curated wine list by the glass features a strong Australian contingent such Tar & Roses Pinto Grigio (VIC), First Creek Chardonnay (Hunter) and Bowen Estate Cab Sav (SA) covering selections such as aromatic, textured whites, rosé, lighter reds, and juicy savoury reds. Most wines by the glass are $14 for 150ml or $23 for 250ml.
The soft rumble of trams can be heard over the buzz of chatting and sassy jazz tunes. “Sorry, we are already sold out of the soft pretzels—they make them in-house daily and they fly out!” Never mind. We are more than happy with a range of poppable bites that take me back to my memories of NYC. Two deviled eggs ($10 each) are so awesome you wonder why they ever went out of fashion. We debate the secret spices—paprika, kewpie mayo perhaps? The kitchen isn’t sharing the recipe. A witlof petal is decorated with a pearl of goat cheese mousse, toasted, crumbed pecan, delivering a bitter, sour, and sweet delight. Meanwhile, a bambino wooden skewer of alternating scallop and merguez sausage drips with savoury juices as we wave them around like mini light sabers. The prawn cocktail bucks the retro styling trend with a fine layer of avocado slices and elegant prawns furled on top.
So far, so delicious, as we head onwards to the mains. I can’t stop thinking about the sous vide salmon almondine, its creamy flesh doused in lashings of slow-cooked buttery sweet onions and toasted almonds. A superlative mac n cheese arrives all crusted and suntanned with a spicy nduja base—it’s hard to summon the goodwill to share, and a cracking value at $30. A half spatchcock is perfectly cooked with crispy skin and clean jus. Just add an autumn salad with burnt honey dressing, and I want to burst into song: “New York, New York, so good they named it twice.” Well having now met Georgie, I can tell we are going to be besties and can’t wait for our second date.
CLOSED: Bar Allora has now take over from Georgie Wine Bar, Mantra 2 Bond Street, Cnr George Street & Bond Street, Sydney, NSW 2000
