Former Wiggle shares love of food, wine at Darlings Bistro Rozelle
Former yellow Wiggle Sam Moran has cast off his skivvy to open Darlings Bistro in Rozelle, offering share plate and cheese boards paired with great wine.
Former yellow Wiggle Sam Moran has cast off his skivvy to realise the dream of opening a restaurant that feels like home.
Moran, who will join NRL player George Burgess and The Bachelor’s Matty J on the cast of Channel 7’s The All New Monty, a spin-off from last year’s The Real Full Monty TV special, said wine and cheese nights with other parents from Rozelle Public School was the catalyst behind the small bar Darlings Bistro.
“We are all local parents, our kids go to the local school and we have all been here for a lot of years,” Moran said of the trio of owners that includes financial expert Nulufer Cakir and lawyer Hal Altan.
“Rozelle and Balmain is transitioning from a pub mecca to more of a wine bar and bistro culture,” Moran, a 10 year Rozelle resident, said.
“We don’t ever want to lose our great pubs, but there is definitely room to introduce a concept like Darlings which combines fine dining expertise, and a first-class wine, beer and spirits selection with a casual atmosphere.”
What started as a cheese and wine bar concept quickly developed into a bistro-style restaurant with chef Nick Talam (Attica, Rockpool) in the kitchen who is dishing up tapas style menu including BBQ queen scallops with preserved radish and salted chilli, that taste as good as they look, and an amazing Alaskan king crab toast, on brioche fingers with lemon and chive.
Other highlights of the menu include the hand-cut steak tartare, with Watervale pasture raised beef eye fillet with eschalot, egg, cornichons, parsley, pane croccante, chilli oil and horseradish, as well as the BBQ cauliflower with Jerusalem artichoke custard.
The dinner and dessert menu has suggested wine pairings and there is a separate cheese/charcuterie menu with Australian and international cheeses, served with seasonal fruit, condiments and crackers.
With the arrival of winter Talam is introducing more grazing plates with hearty additions like brazed lamb rack and a lamb shoulder cooked on his Japanese grill. While the popular brunch menu is brimming with delights like a truffle omelette and Turkish baked eggs.
“I’ve loved returning to a smaller restaurant where the connection between produce and diner is more profound. It’s much more enjoyable to witness that immediate connection of people to food,” Talam said.
Moran said all the owners rolled up their sleeves during the renovation of Darling’s site, formerly The Bean cafe, and as they started to peel back layers they found an original brick arch and behind four layers of cabinetry they uncovered an original fireplace - both finds take pride of place in the chic small bar.
ABOUT DARLINGS
Darlings Bistro is located on Darling Street’s cafe and restaurant strip in Rozelle. It opens for breakfast, lunch and dinner daily.
And for dog lovers — of which there are many in the inner west — Darlings’ street side high tables are dog friendly.
Hours Mon 8am — 4pm; Tue 8am — 10pm; Wed 8am — 10pm
Thu 8am — Midnight; Fri. 8am — Midnight; Sat 8am — Midnight; Sun 8am — 10pm
WHERE TO FIND THEM
Darlings Bistro
612 Darling St, Rozelle
Ph: 8004 7531
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