In May, we got the big news that fan-fave diner Bistrot 916 would be shutting up shop. “That’s it, good night, lights out for Bistrot,” chef Dan Pepperell told Broadsheet at the time, with the Potts Point building set to be demolished to make way for a property development. Pepperell co-owns the Parisian-style hotspot, along with Pellegrino 2000 and Clam Bar, with Mikey Clift and Andy Tyson, and they’re soon to welcome Neptune’s Grotto to the mix.

“Bistrot was our fortress during the Covid siege, our long lunch on a summer’s day, and our listening bar hideaway during winter,” Clift said in a statement. “We’ll miss our little spot on Challis.” The trio will serve the last lobster frites on Sunday November 3.

The team were househunting for new digs for Bistrot, but came up empty-handed. There were no spaces with the same vibe or character as the OG, and they didn’t want to force it. “We’ve decided we can’t transplant it, and we won’t try,” Tyson says.

We think you might like Access. For $12 a month, join our membership program to stay in the know.

SIGN UP

Bistrot 916 was an instant hit when it opened in 2021 in the space once occupied by Merivale’s Lotus. Bentwoods and tables dressed in blushing pink on the street, exposed bricks and a funky (and techno-heavy) vinyl soundtrack inside – it’s no wonder Bistrot 916 captured Sydney hearts. And that happy hour didn’t hurt: the cheeseburger, $12 dishes of parfait and $12 Negronis earned the venue a league of loyal fans.

“We close this chapter with a mix of pride and nostalgia,” Clift says. It was an era of duck (or lobster) frites; pasta-powered, buttery renditions of escargot; decadent seafood towers; and bargain lunchtime oysters. And you’ve got nine more weeks to get around it – so book in, stat.

While we’re farewelling Bistrot, Neptune’s Grotto is set to open in a basement space on the CBD’s Bridge Street in the next few months. “It’s an Italian restaurant which, comparatively to [Roman trattoria-style] Pellegrino, is a little more northern Italian,” Tyson told Broadsheet in March. “It’ll be handmade pastas and a lot more butter.” When it hits the old Tokonoma space, below Clam Bar, our money’s on Neptune’s Grotto delivering the same bravura service and food the team is known for.

The final day of service for Bistrot 916 will be Sunday November 3, 2024.

bistrot916.com
@bistrot916