North shore party pub keeps the faith
Looking for a new place to congregate? This historic chapel bar on the north shore has been given a glorious new makeover.
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Looking for a new place to congregate? This chapel bar on the north shore has been given a glorious new makeover.
Initially built as a church in the 19th century, it wasn’t until 1992 that the historic sandstone building underwent a different kind of conversion, relaunching as The Greenwood Hotel.
Owner Nick Wills, one half of hospitality group Tilley and Wills, bought the establishment mid last year and has since committed the venue to a series of renovations.
“We get on average 8-10 thousand people through per week, so over time the pub just tired naturally,” says Wills.
“The shell of the venue itself is amazing and we needed to give it a refresh to show its full potential.”
SJB Interiors, the design studio behind 12 Micron and Sepia, were called in to create a lush new look that would highlight the hotel’s original features.
Of the four interior bars, the most revered is the Chapel, which is home to soaring timber-trussed ceilings, arched glasswork and striking classical features.
“We went all out on this space, delivering a solid onyx bar and bespoke hanging leaf sculpture, as well as statement plantings and new furniture,” says Wills.
The organic installation, created by Loose Leaf studio, sees an artful arrangement of delicately folded, sage-coloured leaves, elaborately suspended from the ceiling.
The outdoor courtyard has also been refreshed to reveal a green oasis, with new cactus plantings and an external bar serving up summery cocktails.
Executive chef Brad Sloane, who trained under Marco Pierre White and head chef Sam Matthews have also worked together to relaunch the food menu.
“Our food philosophy is a humble one, to create simple but refined dishes using the best seasonal ingredients,” says Wills.
Pub classics have been resurrected, albeit with a modern twist, from a sweetly smoked churrasco chook, lavished with a corn and pomegranate salsa and whipped avocado, and a barbecued pulled pork burger, stacked with pickled cucumber, aioli and crackling, on a milk bun with a side of rosemary fries.
Groups can break bread over a bowl of dukkah spiced hummus or snack on a serve of deliciously sacrilegious beef nachos spring rolls.
The Greenwood’s drink list remains fairly stock standard, with the usual beers on tap, as well as a tight selection of Australian and European wines.
Instead, cocktails are the specialty, which include the season’s trendiest sipper, the Aperol spritz, as well as a cooling aloe vera margarita, which riffs on the venue’s new succulent plantings.
DETAILS
What: The Greenwood Hotel.
Where: 36 Blue Street, North Sydney.
When: Monday — Friday 11am — late, Saturday subject to event schedule, Sunday 2pm — 10pm
Ph: 02 9964 9477
Web: greenwoodhotel.com
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