Bouche on Bridge is a modern European restaurant and bar by English-born Executive Chef Harry Stockdale-Powell (ex Rockpool 1989, Marque) and business partner Emma Darrouzet. Bouche on Bridge and basement bar The Cellar at Bouche opens in the heart of Sydney’s CBD on Tuesday 20 September.
Stockdale-Powell’s menu showcases local produce that reflects his passion for sustainability. A dish he’s particularly excited about is a rare breed suckling pig served with unripe fermented strawberries. These are the same strawberries the pig is reared on at a Tasmanian berry farm.
“I spent a couple of weeks in Tasmania visiting incredible farmers to find the right partners for Bouche on Bridge. We feel we’ve found some of the best in the country,” says Stockdale-Powell. “The passion, time and care they put in to produce this kind of quality meant it was often the farmers interviewing me to make sure that I was going to carry that on into the kitchen.”
Chef designs the dishes to share and distinguishes it by the land, the farm, and the sea. An eschalot tart tatin with parmesan ice-cream is an example of the chef’s nod to the land. Hay smoked chicken with white soy from the farm and rosy snapper with smoked white beans and Sicilian olives from the sea. The kitchen team keeps produce in-house wherever possible – bread, cultured butter, cold-pressed olive oil and cured meats are all made on site.
Stockdale-Powell says: “Bouche brings together our fine dining food and service experience but in a more relaxed atmosphere. Basically, Bouche is somewhere we’d go for lunch, dinner or even just a drink a few times a week, not only for a special occasion.”
The 300-strong wine list is hand-selected by Head Sommelier Seamus Brandt (ex Rockpool Bar & Grill). It highlights the diversity of new world wine as well as the classics.
The 60-seater wine and cocktail bar The Cellar at Bouche is a destination on its own. Head Bartender Matt Linklater (ex-Bulletin Place) is behind the cocktail list which focuses on sustainable libation. Linklater takes advantage of off cuts such as pineapple skin, spine and pulp to create many of the cocktails including the ‘ananastic’ with absinthe, fino, pineapple skins and mint. The ‘crust buster’ is not for the faint hearted with a liquorice rim, armagnac, fennel, and liquore strega. The bar food menu features various bites, oysters, cured meats and cheeses.
The sophisticated but raw interiors are designed by Rad Studio (Riley St Garage, York Trading & Co., Mille Vini). The original timber and brickwork has been restored to honour the building’s 130-year history. A perfect mix of modern and old world the space is open with elements of refined metals and highly detailed finishes throughout.
From Tuesday 20 September the 80-seater restaurant caters for lunch and dinner six days a week.