Luke Mangan reveals next steps after calling time on Glass Brasserie at Hilton Sydney

Top Sydney chef Luke Mangan has revealed he’s walking away from his restaurant after 19 years, but not his love of cooking, writes Jonathon Moran.

Luke Mangan has lifted the lid on why he called time after 19 years at his Sydney eatery, Glass, but promises his fans this is not the end.

Mangan made the decision six months ago and will hand the keys back to the “institution” of a restaurant on December 31.

“I’m certainly not going to slow down,” Mangan said.

“I’d like to see our airport restaurants in every city around the country because that has worked really well. Another 20 years in the business, maybe, I’m not sure. I am not the John Laws of the radio world, let’s put it that way.”

Laws, 89, of course finished up his broadcast radio career after a phenomenal 71 years earlier this month.

Luke Mangan at Kimpton Margot Hotel in Sydney. Picture: Rohan Kelly

The restaurant will continue under the name Glass at Hilton Sydney, just not with Mangan involved. Many of the staff, including head chef Natalie Murphy, will stay on board, as will sommelier Mauro Batolato.

Glass is a big restaurant, seating 240 people when full, which it often is.

“Who knows what may come, we will look at other opportunities,” he said.

“There’s a lot of staff to maintain and a lot of things that come with big restaurants like that. So I would think for me, probably I wouldn’t go as big in a restaurant now, something a bit more manageable, if that’s the word.”

Luke Mangan and journalist Jonathon Moran in Sydney. Picture: Rohan Kelly

Mangan, 54, has long been one of the most famous names in Australia’s food scene.

His diary going into 2025 remains incredibly full with his business enterprise presiding over a number of restaurants across Sydney, including Luke’s Table on the pylon at the Sydney Harbour Bridge, Luc-San in Potts Point and Luke’s Bistro & Bar at Sydney Domestic Airport.

There’s also Bistrot Bisou in Melbourne and Mangan’s ongoing partnership with P&O Cruises for his Luke’s and Luke’s Bar & Grill properties.

Internationally, Mangan had two restaurants each in Singapore, Tokyo and Indonesia that he sold out of in 2019 before Covid hit. For that, he considers himself “the luckiest guy in the industry”.

“It was a great decision, but a lot of luck because who knew Covid was coming?” he said.

 “So when making a decision about Glass and things like that, it doesn’t bother me because I know things are still there and still possibly coming.”

The Kimpton Margot Hotel is Mangan’s ‘new headquarters’. Picture: Rohan Kelly

The Sunday Telegraph sat down with Mangan over lunch at his luxe Luke’s Kitchen eatery at the Kimpton Margot Hotel, which is now “my new headquarters I guess”.

The succulent Shimu wagyu is from Gerry Harvey. Mangan revealed he almost handed over the keys to Glass four years ago, but was “convinced” to re-sign.

“I was glad to stay that four years, and get through Covid, but I made this decision six months ago to be honest and that is how it came about I guess,” he said. “When someone asks me about the restaurant business, I always say I take my hat off to anyone who can last a year to five years in business because it is such a tough [industry]. So to have it for 20, we’ve just been very lucky. It’s just an iconic location, a beautiful location but sometimes in life you have to make a decision and decide do you want to continue for another four, three, two, one years and maybe it’s time to move on and keep doing other things. I mean, it did take up a lot of my time.”

Chef Luke Mangan with Natalie Murphy and Dylan Grosas in the kitchen at Glass Brasserie.

It would be understandable if Mangan felt mixed emotions about the decision.

But, as a guy that is always “glass half-full”, there is no time for looking back.

“I’m pretty much someone who once a decision is made, I do move on pretty quick,” Mangan said with no intent of sounding ruthless, just sure of his decision.

“I don’t know what that is. I sort of, my glass is always half full, so one chapter may close and I’m a big believer that another chapter or another door will open. I’ve got plenty of room, which is good and plenty of things to look forward to and I’m excited by that.”

Oh, if the walls of Glass could talk.

Mangan has hosted everyone from the top end of town to A-lister Hollywood stars.

“We’ve had people like James Packer, Baz Luhrmann, Elton John and Tony Bennett, Priscilla Presley, prime ministers current and past, premiers,” he said.

“We’ve been very lucky and I think that’s great, it is something we’ve worked hard to do and we achieved something.”

Looking back when asked his favourite anecdote over the 19 years at Glass, it isn’t a celebrity or political figure that comes to mind.

He recalled the first review, which gave him 13 out of 20.

For the record, it wasn’t a Sunday Telegraph review.

“There was a lot of expectation on Glass – it was a big move from me, Salt to Glass,” he explained.

“We got our first review and it was the worst review I’ve ever had in my life. What really surprised me the night of that review, we did 260 covers because I think people read that review and thought, hang on, this is Luke from Salt, surely it can’t be that bad.

“Thankfully that review didn’t damage us and I think to me that’s an important part and probably a lesson for more younger people coming into the industry that the customer is number one and the reviews and accolades and everything, while great, you’ve got to maintain a certain consistency.

“While I was gutted with that review at the age of 35, when I saw the people come in and the business just fly from there, I thought that was pretty special so that was a good moment.”

Luke Mangan at the Kimpton Margot Hotel. Picture: Rohan Kelly

Much has been said about the difficult nature of the hospitality industry. While largely positive, Mangan doesn’t sugar-coat the reality.

“Yes, there’s been tough times,” he confessed. “I was nearly broke in 2005 after we had a restaurant in Darlinghurst called Salt that was flavour of the month, the hottest restaurant in 2008.

“I think I expanded too quick (but) you learn by those mistakes as well and there’s been plenty of mistakes here, too many to mention. I’ve got incredible close friends in business and I always like to bounce ideas off and talk to them about things that I’ve done wrong or where I can improve and things like that.

“But restaurants are a tough business.”

Most nights you can find Mangan at one of his venues. He bounces between them making sure everything is in check.

When not working, he enjoys fine wine, time at his farm in the Southern Highlands, and travelling.

“I’ve got a good balance with what I do now,” he said.

“I like to be kept busy. I get bored easily.”

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Originally published as Luke Mangan reveals next steps after calling time on Glass Brasserie at Hilton Sydney