In the first of a series of announcements, Crown Sydney has today unveiled that the first and only female chef to run a restaurant with three Michelin-stars in the UK, Clare Smyth MBE, plans to open a restaurant at Crown Sydney in February 2021.
Hailing from the United Kingdom, Smyth has trained in some of the most celebrated kitchens in the world including Alain Ducasse’s Le Louis XV in Monaco and worked under Gordon Ramsay for 13 years where she was Chef Patron before opening her own restaurant in 2017 – Core by Clare Smyth in Notting Hill, London.
In addition to being awarded two stars as a new entry into the 2019 Michelin Guide, Smyth has won numerous other international awards, including the title of The World’s Best Female Chef Award by The World’s 50 Best Restaurants. Core by Clare Smyth was also the first restaurant to ever enter The Good Food Guide with a perfect score of 10 out of 10.
Her London restaurant places an emphasis on natural, sustainable food, sourced from local farmers and food producers – something that Smyth is excited to replicate in Australia with a focus on all the extraordinary produce that Australia has to offer.
Smyth’s restaurant in Australia will have a uniquely Sydney flavour drawing inspiration from the harbour and its surrounds, as well as from the building’s majestic architecture by world renowned firm, Wilkinson Eyre.
“Crown Sydney is creating a world-class dining destination for the city, and I am thrilled to have my first Australian restaurant in this amazing location overlooking one of the most beautiful sites in the world. With this new restaurant I wish to build upon the success of Core. Having lived and travelled in Australia early on in my career, it feels like a home away from home and the perfect location for the restaurant,” Smyth said.
According to Smyth, while the restaurant will naturally be inspired by Core, she plans to create something truly unique in her first Australian restaurant – reflecting the best of the city in terms of location, produce, service as well as showcasing culinary innovation reflective of the local market.
“The quality and diversity of the produce available in Australia is incredible. I look forward to spending a lot of time there further exploring its food and wine regions to create our menu which will showcase the best produce sourced from Australia’s most dedicated farmers and food producers,” said Smyth.
Australians may know Smyth from her appearances on Network Ten’s Masterchef Australia, and Netflix’s The Final Table, she was also famously selected for the highly sought after role of catering the private reception for the royal wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle.
“Partnering with a chef of Clare’s calibre is a huge coup for Sydney’s restaurant scene and our standing as a food destination – and I’m confident her restaurant will be embraced by Sydneysiders and visitors alike,” says Crown Sydney Chief Operating Officer, Peter Crinis.
With 14 restaurants and bars set to open at the Barangaroo property, Crown Sydney is set to become a world-class dining destination, designed to showcase the best talent in the Sydney food scene alongside some of the most sought-after chefs in the world. While the rest of the line-up remains firmly under wraps for a few more months, Crinis says there will be a number of local and international chef partnerships with some of the most exciting names in the culinary food scene to be announced.
“Part of being a truly global city, is having an innovative dining scene that showcases the latest food trends from across the globe but equally reflects the best that Sydney has to offer. We have hand selected the best in market – chefs that we believe showcase the latest and finest innovations in modern cuisine that will create unique dining experiences that we hope Sydney will be proud of.”
Upon completion, Crown Sydney is set to become the city’s most sought after dining destination. The Barangaroo property will include 349 hotel rooms and suites, luxury residences, signature restaurants, bars, premium retail outlets, pool and spa offering, conference rooms and VIP gaming facilities.