Bentley Restaurant & Bar

Seven years trading is a long time in the Sydney restaurant business and few owners can lay claim to such longevity. Fewer still have achieved as much as Brent Savage and Nick Hildebrandt in that time.

Since the pair first opened Bentley Restaurant and Bar in 2006 they’ve earned two chef’s hats in the SMH Good Food Guide and three prestigious wine glasses. They’re received glowing reviews, eager fans and an enviable reputation for their creative wine list and inventive cuisine.

They’ve never rested on their laurels however, continuing to evolve the business. In 2012 they were joined by third business partner Glen Goodwin and last year the trio took the big step of moving from their comfortable and original Surry Hills location into the busy and bustling Sydney CBD.

The elegant new space in the Radisson Blu Hotel is, “a continuation of the old restaurant,” says Savage. “But it’s also about taking Bentley to a new level.”

“My vision is to create a fantastic city restaurant: somewhere that is still creative but which also suits the business crowd” he adds.

“The crowd had changed a lot in Surry Hills over the years. It seemed a lot of our clientele had started coming from the city,” Savage says. “So it just made sense to move closer to the CBD”.

The owners chose award-winning Melbourne architect Pascale Gomes-McNabb to transform the former Bistro Fax into a contemporary and vibrant new space. A sophisticated new menu needed to match such a grand, opulent interior. “It’s a lot more mature and more evolved, in the sense that there’s more focus on the produce and the flavours”, says Savage.

As well as an a-la-carte menu – with its signature selection of charcoal-grilled beef – the new restaurant also boasts a separate tasting menu, bar menu and a dedicated vegetarian tasting menu.

It’s not just the reputation for remarkable food that’s got the punters flocking to Bentley. With over a thousand choices, the wine list is a both comprehensive and focused. “We always use small producers and prefer smaller less well-known labels. The selection stretches far and wide,” says Savage.

“All restaurants tend to evolve over time,” says Savage. However, despite the slick fit-out and new menu, Bentley retains its original creative, down-to-earth appeal. Clearly, it’s still Bentley business as usual.

Bentley’s owners looked to past relationships when establishing the best steps forward for the big move into the business district.

Their strong partnership with Moffat has been in place since 2006, and the new fit-out benefitted from the shared history.

“I’ve used Moffat equipment for over ten years. It’s always been reliable and easy to maintain, and it delivers on everything it claims”, says Savage.

The owners chose a brand new selection of Waldorf Bold equipment, a Convotherm Electric Combi Steamer Oven and a Washtech Undercounter Dishwasher to meet their needs.

“Moffat’s customer service is also excellent and the technology is straightforward. This means the machines rarely have issues. But if they do, the follow up service is fast and reliable,” he adds.