Sydney’s hot, new event venue, Saltbox, is coming to the vibrant TOGA Group-created lifestyle precinct Wunderlich Lane. It will join a hand-picked collective of retail, beauty, wellness, and hospitality trendsetters at the new development in the city’s dynamic fringe of Surry Hills and Redfern.
Saltbox is the first sole-operated venue by the group behind industry-leading caterer Cook & Waiter. It is owned by industry trailblazer David O’Brien and his esteemed team of hospitality alumni from world-leading groups, including Guillaume at Bennelong, Bentley Restaurant Group, Tetsuya’s, Rockpool, Sixpenny, and the kitchens of Gordon Ramsay and Belinda Franks.
The 560-square-metre, state-of-the-art venue with a striking outdoor entertainment terrace was designed by SJB and built by TOGA Group as part of the inspirational Wunderlich Lane development. Interior designer Bates Smart brought Saltbox’s hospitable charm and vibrant energy to life with a commitment to sustainability.
Saltbox is in exceptional company at the precinct. It is close to a boutique luxury hotel, The EVE, which provides a stunning and convenient event space just metres from the beautiful hotel accommodations. The venue is also in the heart of a hand-selected group of bespoke retail, beauty, wellness and hospitality operators, including Liquid & Larder, House Made Hospitality, Gelato Messina, as well as the teams behind LuMi Dining and The Apollo, which bring some of the city’s most anticipated new restaurants and stores to the precinct.
Saltbox will launch in Autumn 2025 with a curated food and drinks offering by Cook & Waiter. For over a decade, Cook & Waiter has delivered first-class, offsite experiences to high-profile brands, including Louis Vuitton, Hermes, Porsche, Lamborghini, Google, Netflix, Penfolds, and Qantas. Large corporate clients include Atlassian, American Express, Goldman Sachs, and JP Morgan. Saltbox is in strong demand, with clients already locking in events for 2025 and beyond.
Mr O’Brien says that having established Cook & Waiter’s reputation as a leading offsite caterer over the past decade, it is time to make a major splash in Sydney’s event landscape by launching a much-needed, brand-new venue supported by a brilliant, creative, and respected in-house catering team.
“Just as salt enhances the flavour of food, Saltbox will inspire and enhance the hospitality experience at every opportunity, through the integration of a world-class venue with the exceptional food, service, and guest experience that Cook & Waiter is renowned for,” Mr O’Brien says.
“The addition of an event venue to our growing business portfolio gives clients a superb, new destination to consider; a refreshing alternative in the heart of a vibrant lifestyle precinct on the city’s progressive and energetic fringe, that is pushing boundaries in terms of location, guest experience, and sustainability credentials.”
Saltbox caters to a variety of breakfast, lunch, and dinner event styles, including corporate meetings, brand launches, cocktail parties, and wedding receptions. A luxe, mirrored lobby and reception area on the ground floor usher guests upstairs to the Level 1 event spaces, three beautiful and warm spaces flooded with natural light. A striking 119-square-metre outdoor terrace runs the length of the venue.
Bates Smart’s fit-out celebrates an exposed timber frame constructed from lightweight, carbon-neutral, cross-laminated timber (CLT), which represents best-practice green design. The CLT anchors the rest of the interior palette, which is made up of warm and authentic materials—raw surfaces, textured fabric, planting, and eco-friendly cork flooring that is rich in style, durable and soft underfoot, with thermal and acoustic benefits.
The principal, pillarless room accommodates approximately 250 guests seated or 460 cocktail-style, depending on the event set-up. It is perfect for significant seated events and conferences. The ceiling is the feature of the space, with its sculpted timber form and soft lighting accents.
Two warm and inviting smaller spaces can be used for private dining, meeting rooms, and breakout options. Floor-to-ceiling windows with soft sheer curtains bestow each beautiful room with natural light and fresh air. All indoor spaces have sophisticated audio-visual capabilities and
black-out facilities. Rooms open onto the spacious, undercover terrace that overlooks the bustling activity of Wunderlich Lane below.
Cook & Waiter Head of Sales & Marketing, Jules Cameron (nee van der Weegen), says the venue’s highly desirable location in Sydney’s hottest hotel, lifestyle and dining precinct will lure clients out of their CBD comfort zone.
“Clients want more, and that’s what we’ll give them,” Ms Cameron says. “Saltbox is the exclusive, standalone event venue at Wunderlich Lane; it’s a spectacular space worth waiting for, and we’re already abuzz with enquiries for 2025.”
Bates Smart Interior Design Director Brenton Smith says the design is inspired by its locale at the fringe of Surry Hills and Redfern; it captures the urban energy of the neighbourhood and its people.
“Saltbox capitalises on the vibrant spirit of Wunderlich Lane. We’ve crafted a space that blends flexibility with sophistication. When you are inside you truly feel the excitement of the Surry Hills and Redfern fringe,” Mr Smith says.