The Boathouse Group emerges from woes with new Rose Bay venue

The Boathouse Group has put two tough years behind it and is preparing for a new opening in a famous eastern suburbs location.

The finishing touches are being added to yet another reincarnation of a famous Eastern Sydney dining spot which, like many of the locals, has undergone a few facelifts over the years.

The Boathouse Rose Bay, previously Regatta, and Pier before that, will open its doors in late February, with tradies seen busily adding the finishing touches to the new-look eatery this week.

The new Boathouse restaurant development at Rose Bay. Picture: Tim Hunter

Divided into two dining areas — a casual breakfast/brunch spot downstairs and more formal dining area upstairs, the venue will be the first Eastern Sydney foray for the Boathouse Group, which is on the comeback trail after some high-profile financial issues over the past two years.

With several long-established venues dotted around the northern beaches, The Boathouse Group suffered a massive fall from grace in 2019 when it was first reported they were facing rising operation debts.

The company, under former owners Andrew and Pip Goldsmith, eventually declared insolvency and was ultimately bought out by a consortium of sorts which consisted of brothers Jono and Ben Isaac as well as Ms Goldsmith’s father, former Liberal federal trade minister Andrew Robb, and his wife Maureen.

Andrew and Pip Goldsmith.

Andrew Goldsmith remained on as manager of the group and admitted there was some consideration given to operating the new Rose Bay venue under a different name given some of the unflattering past headlines.

“We did think about it but people still seem to like the brand in despite some of our funding dramas,” Goldsmith told Confidential this week.

“And also the Boathouse just made sense given the location and I find that we do have a lot of shared customers that circulate from Palm Beach to Whale Beach and the East.”

Work is being done to prepared the Boathouse Rose Bay for its February opening. Picture: Tim Hunter

Work is being done to prepared the Boathouse Rose Bay for its February opening. Picture: Tim Hunter

Work is being done to prepared the Boathouse Rose Bay for its February opening. Picture: Tim Hunter

Another challenge will be attempting to unseat the undisputed king of the Rose Bay dining scene, the nearby Catalina operated now by Judy McMahon, son James and daughter Kate, following the passing of patriarch Michael McMahon last year.

“They do what they do very well … and I know most days it’s hard to even get in to Catalina,” says Goldsmith.

“But we will be offering something a little more casual than that high-end, fine dining style.

“We will be more the kind of everyday place.”