Poetica Bar & Grill

Poetica skews primal – you realise it as soon as you walk into the airy dining room and see all the meat and seafood in the glass-fronted dry-aging cabinet. Pairing the protein with some old-fashioned funk from fermented and pickled vegetables is also one of the North Sydney restaurant’s hallmarks. Both speak to Connor Hartley-Simpson’s experience: as head chef at the two Michelin-starred Gastrologik in Stockholm, three Michelin-starred Quince in San Francisco and The Charles Grand Brasserie & Bar, in Sydney.

North Sydney’s dining scene keeps getting better, thanks to newish spots Rafi and Poetica (and there’s a new food and drink precinct currently getting built). Now, we’ve got another one for you. Bar Lettera, a modern Italian/Australian restaurant and wine bar, is now open in the Citadines Walker North Sydney hotel.

With fire, wood and charcoal at its heart, Poetica Bar & Grill is a refined but relaxed North Sydney restaurant by Etymon Group (The Charles Grand Brasserie and Bar, Loulou Bistro, Boulangerie & Traiteur, and Tiva). The light-filled space has a 700-bottle wine wall, 15-metre-long open kitchen, a couple of terraces for open-air dining, and a dedicated bar space. As well as a premium beef selection cooked over fire, menu highlights include oysters topped with melted beef fat (a la flambadou), grilled sugarloaf cabbage with pickled peppers and fried garlic, and dry-aged swordfish that gets flash-grilled after sitting above the fire.

North Sydney is fast becoming one of Sydney’s best foodie suburbs with a slew of new restaurant openings thanks to Etymon Projects, the team behind The Charles Grand Brasserie & Bar, Loulou Bistro, Boulangerie & Traiteur, and Tiva in Sydney CBD. Their latest venture is Poetica Bar & Grill, with raw and cooked starters, moving into ‘charcoal’, ‘wood’, ‘dry-aged’, sides, and dessert. Think smoky, slow-cooked big meats such as whole sirloins, T-bones and tomahawks that hang in the dry-aging cabinet. While we love our steaks, it’s hard to look past the stand-out swordfish.

Poetica presents like the love child of a New York steakhouse and swanky North Sydney diner. The eatery operated by Etymon Projects is like a palace for meat lovers, serving up hefty slabs of beef and fish which have been aged for a more robust flavour. While the Josper charcoal oven and wood-burning hearth are the focal point in the open kitchen, the 120-seater light-filled eatery also features an attention-stealing 700-bottle wine wall and glass-fronted ageing cabinets.

Having only been open for a handful of months, Poetica will be sure to impress any clients or guests as it’s hidden away up the stairs from a small alleyway on Denison Street. Inside you’re met with a beautiful, stylish interior but the open balcony and light colours creates a laid back atmosphere. In terms of food, their philosophy is that simplicity is best, especially when using the finest, freshest produce and the element of charcoal and fire.

Poetica is a refined and light-filled restaurant and bar that we recommend booking yourself a spot at quick smart. The 120-seat space boasts a 700-bottle wine wall, dry-ageing cabinets and a 15-metre-long open kitchen. Stone, copper, wood and burnt honey upholstery contribute to the relaxed yet luxurious aesthetic.

Thanks to a glowing custom hearth, Poetica’s steaks are some of the best on the lower north shore. And this 180-seat spot has range – expect anything from a 30-day dry-aged Jack’s Creek sirloin to a Ranger’s Valley tomahawk. Save room for those beef-fat flambadou oysters.