One of the most enduring partnerships at the top end of Sydney dining has ended. Veteran restaurateur Leon Fink has divested his ownership in Surry Hills’ twin-toqued Firedoor restaurant and its Basque wine bar spin-off Gildas, selling to chef-partner Lennox Hastie.

Fink, who has a stable of top-tier Sydney restaurants including Quay and Bennelong, backed the talent of British-born Hastie, who worked at Asador Etxebarri in Spain and moved to Australia with a dream to create something similar, cooking over fire in Sydney.

Hastie joined Fink in 2011 while they searched for a restaurant site. They found, then passed over, a Chippendale location, then a deal on a former adult bookstore in Kings Cross fell through. A proposed opening on the rooftop at the Paramount Pictures Building didn’t proceed.

Four long years later, in 2015, they opened Firedoor on Mary Street, Surry Hills, followed seven years later by Gildas, a minute’s walk away in Albion Street.

Hastie has always been centre stage at Firedoor, which the latest edition of The Sydney Morning Herald Good Food Guide describes as “fine dining by fire”.

“Fourteen years ago, I arrived from Spain looking to create a beautiful home in Australia and I found it with the Fink family … together, we’ve forged something truly remarkable,” Hastie says.

“Now, it’s time to turn the page. This next chapter feels electrifying, full of promise and continual growth, striving to push boundaries while staying true to what makes these places special.”

Fink says the approaching 10th anniversary of Firedoor feels like the right time for Lennox to “take both venues forward independently”.

“While it’s bittersweet to see them transition away from the Fink family of venues, I take immense pride in everything we’ve achieved together,” Fink says.

“Working alongside Lennox has been a pleasure. Together, we’ve built Firedoor into an iconic part of Australia’s dining landscape and established Gildas as a promising addition.”

The transition will take place in April, when Hastie will cut the cord from the Fink mothership.