Sydney’s exclusive brand new restaurant Luke’s Table already booked out until March 2023

Celebrity chef Luke Mangan opened his restaurant with a view from inside the Sydney Harbour Bridge on Monday. In less than 24 hours, it was booked out until next March.

Sydney’s brand new, and most exclusive restaurant, is already booked out until March 2023.

Celebrity chef Luke Mangan opened Luke’s Table, an exclusive $295-a-head restaurant on the Sydney Harbour Bridge’s South East Pylon public viewing platform on Monday.

Within an hour, the website had crashed and Mangan had four months’ worth of bookings.

“It sold out within the hour. It’s been hugely successful and I put that down to people wanting a different experience,” Mangan told Confidential.

“It still hasn’t properly sunk in yet.”

Australian restaurateur Luke Mangan on the Sydney Harbour Bridge at South East Pylon, where he opened a swanky new restaurant this week. Picture: Justin Lloyd

Once the Pylon Lookout closes to the public at 4pm, Mangan’s crew from Luke’s Kitchen in Pitt Street take the narrow stairs and climb 200 steps to the top of the 87 metre tall harbour icon.

Once there, they break out induction ovens from specially installed storage boxes, set up the chairs and table and begin cooking ready to receive diners at 6.30pm.

For the ticket price, diners enjoy four courses and a bottle of grange.

“It’s challenging, but we’re all fit, young, and getting fitter every time we go up there,” he said.

When the guests leave three hours later everything has to be packed down again.

The pylon, which was first opened in 1934, has a 360 degree viewing platform that has been open to the public at various times in the past.

This week’s opening has been two years in the making, since Mangan first approached the people at BridgeClimb with the idea to get Sydneysiders out after lockdown.

The room at Luke’s Table may be small.

But the view is simply incredible.

“At the moment, we’re opening three days a week. In the New Year, we’ll have to look at expanding our meal periods,” Mangan said.

People who’ve booked already are a “real mix” of corporate groups and foodies from Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, and as far afield as the team from CNN America.

“We’ve gone global,” Mangan said.

“Any time I start a new business, or open a new restaurant, I’m always nervous that it may not work. It’s healthy to be a bit nervous.”

As much as the 52-year-old knew he was onto something special, the level of interest has still been a pleasant surprise.

Originally published as Sydney’s exclusive brand new restaurant Luke’s Table already booked out until March 2023