Aykut Sayan to open small bar at Parramatta

A European-inspired bar where pretensions are left at the door is on the menu for a prominent Parramatta hospitality figure’s next venture. He reveals his plans here.

Aykut Sayan at Circa Cafe in Parramatta. Circa cafe owner Aykut Sayan is planning to open Parramatta's first wine bar. Photo by DAMIAN SHAW

He’s known for his signature dish of Ottomon eggs and putting Parramatta’s cafe scene on the map, but Aykut Sayan’s recent pivot will see him fulfil a long-held ambition to open a small bar in the western suburbs.

But don’t think it’s going to be a hipster haunt. The Circa Espresso owner swiftly declares he has no intentions for pretensions at the eight-table venue, just a place where patrons can enjoy natural tipples while grazing on shared plates.

“It’s like being in your own lounge room, I suppose, in a nice little terrace house,’’ Sayan said.

“It’s super relaxed, you can come in shorts and have a sandwich and a glass of wine.’’

The “wine room” will occupy a terrace building next to Circa Espresso at Wentworth St and boast wines and beer from Georgia, France, Eastern Europe and Sydney’s inner west.

Aykut Sayan at Circa Espresso, which will be next door to his wine bar. Picture: Robert Pozo

“There’s really not that many people in the western suburbs who have a real understanding of natural wines and suppliers,’’ Sayan said.

“This was always my first interest before cafes and I never kind of got around to it because it’s always been a challenge to do things.

“There’s a lot of new commercial premises (in Parramatta) but not a lot of old school spaces, and it requires evening work as well.’’

Naming Bar Copains and Love, Tilly Devine at Surry Hills as similar venues, Sayan has mainly been inspired by drinking spots in Paris and New York when establishing his cosy Parramatta venue, which is slated to open in autumn.

“The thing about great wine bars, I always think it’s been slightly exclusive but in Paris it was more like ‘drop by and have a glass of wine’ and it was the same in Italy,’’ he said.

“There’s nothing exclusive about wine – it’s a peasant-driven beverage.’’

Along with Circa Espresso, Sayan runs patisserie Lucien Baked Goods at Parramatta with chefs Tom Clunie and Adeline Ribis.