When you hear Establishment, it conjures something – a soundbite of a more decadent chapter of Sydney’s nightlife, all dim lighting and good suits. In the early noughties, Establishment Bar was where you’d meet to kick off the night, maybe head upstairs to a polished dinner at Est. or if you were visiting, a room at Establishment Hotel was a passport to a boutique CBD experience with delicious benefits.
Over the decades the precinct has evolved and further established itself as a foodie destination. It’s now home to Merivale’s most iconic bars and restaurants including Mr Wong, Palmer & Co., Sushi E, Hemmesphere, The Press and more recently, Dan Hong’s fun and flavourful Chinese diner, Good Luck Eating House.
The precinct
Few precincts in Sydney have earned their place quite like the Establishment. Over decades, it has evolved alongside the city’s appetite for exceptional dining, late-night aperitivi and the kind of dimly lit bars – The Press, Palmer & Co, Hemmesphere – that feel like a secret worth keeping. These aren’t just venues. They’re a masterclass in what great hospitality actually looks like.
The food
One name has become synonymous with boundary-pushing food in the precinct: Dan Hong. First came Mr Wong in 2012 – the 240-seater Cantonese powerhouse that changed the conversation around Chinese fine dining in Sydney – and now, Good Luck Eating House. A recent visit confirmed it hits on every level: innovative, irreverent executions of Chinese food served in a room that’s bright, bustling and completely alive. It’s a place that doesn’t take itself too seriously but is deadly serious about the things that matter – the food, the drink, the service.
Strange flavour poached chicken and prawn wontons arrived in a Sichuan chilli sauce laced with sesame paste, adding a creamy, nutty depth. The char siu pork belly – lacquered in a sticky hot honey syrup – is the kind of dish that disappears faster than you’d like. And while Good Luck’s soft serve has earned its reputation, it was the warm chiffon cake with coconut caramel, peanut brittle and banana ice-cream that genuinely stopped the conversation.
The bars
Hidden in the laneways surrounding the Establishment are The Press and Palmer & Co – two bars that bring their own distinct style and honed craft to the CBD. The most recent bar to join the precinct, The Press is an opulent late-night bar that transports guests to a time of refined decadence. “We wanted to create a space that feels transportive, where you can lose all sense of time and simply immerse yourself in the experience,” says Merivale design director Nasim Koerting. Unsurprisingly the martini heads up the confident drinks menu, guided by the assured hand of award-winning bartender James Irvine.
The hotel
Discreetly tucked down Bridge Lane, the entrance to the Establishment Hotel is the kind of thing you might stumble upon as if by happy accident – which, of course, is entirely by design. Step inside and the city falls away entirely. Despite its decades in the game, there is nothing tired about this hotel – it operates with the same quiet confidence as the bars and restaurants that surround it.
The rooms carry an edginess reminiscent of a New York loft – timber floors meeting marble finishes, and a silver bar cart stocked with everything you need to mix a pre-theatre Martini or a late-night Negroni. It’s the kind of considered detail that sets a boutique property apart. As are the local Hunter Valley toiletries, the bath salts beckoning from the tub, and the almost unfair luxury of having Mr Wong, Sushi E and Palmer & Co. on speed dial for room service. A hotel minibar has never felt so redundant.
Sydney will always have its next big opening, its newest table, its most talked-about bar. But this precinct transcends the conversation entirely. If it’s been a while between drinks, consider this your sign. The Establishment has been waiting, and it hasn’t missed a beat.
