Sydney Theatre Company has opened the doors to a new dining destination at the Roslyn Packer Theatre, inspired by the theatre bars and speakeasies of New York.
The venue, Folio, is a meeting place for cocktails, light bites or a shared meal, and entertainment.
It joins The Wharf Restaurant and Bar, a recently opened venue at the end of the Sydney Theatre Company’s Walsh Bay wharf.
Folio complements the theatre by offering different options for guests, from evening drinks with friends, to a quick snacks before a show.
The food menu features familar, shareable dishes. Guests can start light with an L.P.’s cured meat plate with house pickles, or a plate of Yamba prawns roasted with curry mayo.
Other highlights include the wagyu lasagna with truffle pecorino, and the Folio burger with Pino’s smoked bacon, cheese, and a fried pickle. Meanwhile, Folio’s take on late-night bar food includes poutine, buttermilk fried chicken, and confit garlic bread with thyme and sage.
The dessert menu features chocolate mousse with whisky miso caramel served tableside from “the big bowl”, or a plate of Australian cheeses.
The cocktail menu draws inspiration from the classics. Highlights include a house bellini with seasonal fruit sorbet and prosecco whisked to order at the bar, or the Flame of Love – a house martini poured at the table and finished with a flamed orange zest. Another standout is The Infinity Old Fashioned, which is a concept borrowed from Angus Winchester who introduced the infinity daiquiri at the Dark Horse in Bath, UK.
Folio’s Bar Consultant Charlie Ainsbury says he wanted to create a menu that speaks to guests and pulls them in.
“Familiar enough to feel at home, but with intrigue and a few surprises, so there’s always a reason to ask questions and to return again and again,” says Ainsbury.
“I love bars that gather a community, places that embrace the culture they are a part of, with great drinks to match and set it off.
“Folio is not just a bar you go to when you’re going to the theatre, it is a destination worth a stop on any night out. I love the idea of guests making friends across the tables, or squeezing just one more cocktail in before the bell.”
The interiors, designed by Like Minds Studio, feature velvet banquettes, custom chrome-edged tables and warm lighting, with a marble bar that anchors the room.
Folio is open from 5pm Wednesday to Saturday, and at other times to coincide with Roslyn Packer Theatre performances. Bookings are now open.
Photography by Buffet / Trent van der Jagt.
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