NewsBite

Advertisement

‘Revamping the steakhouse’: Pellegrino 2000 team opens New York-style restaurant, Clam Bar

It might just be the hottest table in Sydney right now, and it’s covered in caviar pancakes, crab cakes and, of course, plenty of steaks and sides.

Bianca Hrovat
Bianca Hrovat

The team behind hatted Sydney restaurants Pellegrino 2000 and Bistrot 916 opened their latest venture Clam Bar on Wednesday.

There’s caviar pancakes ($35), prawn cocktails ($24) and crab cakes ($36) on the Circular Quay restaurant’s nostalgic, seafood-heavy menu.

Clam Bar takes inspiration from the classic steakhouses of New York City,
Clam Bar takes inspiration from the classic steakhouses of New York City, Edwina Pickles

Clam Bar takes inspiration from the classic steakhouses of New York City, visited by co-founders Dan Pepperell, Mikey Clift and Andy Tyson in September of last year.

“I’m so excited to give the great steakhouse a revamp,” Tyson says.

Advertisement

“They’ve been open for more than a hundred years, and they have all these dishes that have become absolute classics, but the execution can be hit or miss.

“[At Clam Bar] we’re bringing modern techniques and creative flair to those dishes, really turning them up.”

Oysters, sausages and prawn cocktail at Clam Bar.
Oysters, sausages and prawn cocktail at Clam Bar. Edwina Pickles

Menu items like oysters Rockefeller (baked oysters with herbs, butter and garlic bread crumbs, $35) and scallop casino (grilled half shell scallops with garlic and chilli butter, $28) reference iconic American dishes, originating at Antoine’s in New Orleans and Little Casino on Rhode Island, respectively.

The hospitality group was awarded hats in the Sydney Morning Herald Good Food Guide 2023 for the Italian trattoria at Surry Hills (Pellegrino 2000) and French bistro at Potts Point (Bistrot 916).

Advertisement
The Clam Bar is located in the former Bridge Room site on the corner of Bridge and Young streets.
The Clam Bar is located in the former Bridge Room site on the corner of Bridge and Young streets.Supplied

“Pepperell and Clift have worked their almost psychedelic magic on these dishes we know and love, with [their] trademark ability to take something familiar and give it fantastical new energy,” says Tyson.

Head chef Sam Galloway, who moves over from Bistrot 916, will be using a high end Josper charcoal oven to grill premium strip steak ($60 for 350g), porterhouse ($180 for 1kg) and rib-eye ($120 for 600g). Steaks will be served alongside “a huge range of sides”, including “big fat potatoes, creamed corn and fresh wedge salad”.

Clam Bar is alreadyone of the hottest tables in town.
Clam Bar is alreadyone of the hottest tables in town.Edwina Pickles

“It’s probably a bigger menu than any of our other restaurants,” says Tyson.

Advertisement

Tyson says the format of an old school steakhouse will better enable the kitchen to showcase prime Australian produce, from both land and sea.

 Pellegrino 2000’s Mikey Clift, Dan Pepperell and Andy Tyson are shifting gears with their newest venture Clam Bar.
Pellegrino 2000’s Mikey Clift, Dan Pepperell and Andy Tyson are shifting gears with their newest venture Clam Bar. Supplied

“We were really inspired by the building and the space … this is a city restaurant, and we considered that when deciding what concept would work best for the site.”

Clam Bar takes the place of Ross Lusted’s iconic restaurant The Bridge Room (closed in April 2019), housed within a heritage listed building on the corner of Bridge and Young Streets.

Open Mon-Sat lunch and dinner (lunch services begin May 5)

Advertisement
Bianca HrovatBianca HrovatBianca is Good Food's Sydney-based reporter.

From our partners

Advertisement
Advertisement

Original URL: https://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/goodfood/sydney-eating-out/revamping-the-steakhouse-pellegrino2000-team-to-open-new-york-style-restaurant-clam-bar-20230428-p5d45b.html