Bar Lettera

The North Sydney dining scene is rising to the next level with the opening of Bar Lettera next month, a modern Australian restaurant infused with Italian flair and helmed by Head Chef, Ryan Perry.
 
With a stellar career in Sydney dining institutions including The Bridge Room and Momofuku Seiobo, Ryan was also part of the opening team behind both Woodcut and Longshore restaurants.
 
"North Sydney is a brilliant place to do an opening as there's a real opportunity to elevate the local dining scene," said Ryan. "The interior design of the Bar Lettera dining room is gorgeous."
 
"Bar Lettera is an upmarket offering where we take Italian classics and reinterpret them in a contemporary way. Instead of caprese salad I have tantalising heirloom tomato with kombu oil and Geraldton wax. My take on fritto misto is deep fried bay bug with semolina crust and house made XO sauce."
 
Ryan isn't interested in following trends, his focus is on letting the ingredients do the talking.
 
"Bar Lettera is all about honest ingredients, there's no hiding. Think CopperTree Farms' grassfed rib eye with blistered tomatoes, a side of mustard and our pale ale jus. My favourite is the sensational Wollemi duck ragu rigatoni with Davidson plum gin sauce."
 
Director at Jordan Design Studio, Sophie Jordan, has curated a space which celebrates the relationship between fine art and fine food, paying homage to Australian landscapes and local artistic heritage. The muse for Bar Lettera was the first female sculpturist in Australia, who also lived locally in North Sydney.
 
"Theodora Cowan's artistic soul underpinned our approach to Bar Lettera, which feels like a modern-day artist's apartment," said Sophie. "The rounded forms of ceramic sculptures are juxtaposed with strong marbles and raw Australian hardwoods across the dining room and bar. Hard and structured stone surfaces at ground level become softer as the eye rises to give the space a lighter feel. The punchy colour palette also takes a lot of references from Australian landscapes."

"We use pendants within the canopy to throw a welcoming warm glow in tandem with inviting table lamps. Intricate lighting fixtures illuminate the travertine stone bar to infuse a sense of warmth, inviting guests to linger and savour every moment."
 
A craft cocktail selection pays homage to Australian art, offering reimagined classics using local spirits, whilst the wine selection blends European traditions with vibrant homegrown drops; Granjoux Chardonnay from Beechworth to Joshua Cooper Cabernet Sauvignon.
 
Accessed from the level 5 mezzanine of Citadines Walker North Sydney, Bar Lettera will feature an all day offering that caters to locals and visitors alike, from business lunches to special occasions.

Instagram bar.lettera