Lachy Sturrock and Sam Smith met over a decade ago working behind the bar at Alberts Tavern in North Sydney, and were both fans of Epoque Belgian Beer Cafe in nearby Cammeray.

Now the duo is back at the former Epoque site for which launched on Thursday, November 16 of their own venue, Folly’s, and they’ve brought a Michelin-star trained chef along for the ride.

“The thing we love about this site is the layout,” Sturrock says. “It suits that beautiful mixture between the two [bar and restaurant].”

The memory of Epoque’s big marble bar was so strong that, a decade after it closed, Sturrock admits he initially hoped it might still be hidden under the alterations of subsequent venues.

Sturrock and Smith both grew up on the lower north shore, and the venue’s moniker references nearby Folly Point. “It’s also a play on it being a folly,” Sturrock adds.

A gamble perhaps, but both have forged careers in the hospitality industry, and have some added clout, with Sydney publicans Bill Smith and Lee Dillon also partners.

It isn’t Sturrock’s first start-up – he was involved in the launch of multiple venues as part of the management team at Applejack Hospitality.

The cocktail list is short and sharp, rotating through the year to include seasonal fruit, while the wine list includes between 80 and 100 mostly Australian producers, as well as old-world wines from France and Italy.

Epoque’s marble bar mightn’t have survived, but its original timber flooring and chequered tiles did. Designer Kathryn Thompson has layered the space with a mix of leather banquette, mustard and maroon tones, cork cladding and vintage rugs.

Chef Antonio “Ace” Espiritu apprenticed at France’s Michelin-starred L’Oustau de Baumaniere, before working locally at Icebergs Dining Room, a’Mare and Fauna.

Folly’s bistro, at the back of the venue, has a menu with a broad Euro brief. Sturrock picks out the kingfish ceviche with finger lime, and snack-y potato balls made with garlic-thyme butter as a couple of early favourites.

Recent Cammeray openings Nico and Don’t Tell Uncle suggest the area is in the midst of a mini hospo boom.

“We’re looking to bring back the cosiness and great energetic buzz that space used to have,” Sturrock says of Folly’s joining the party.

“Recreate that neighbourhood feel where locals happily come in a few times a week, always finding something new to try and experience.”

Open Tue-Thu 3pm-late; Fri-Sun noon-late.

429 Miller Street, Cammeray, follys.com.au