Brent Savage and business partner Nick Hildebrandt have announced they’re closing Bentley Restaurant and Bar later this month to begin renovations.

Located on the ground floor of the Radisson Blue in the CBD, Bentley’s entire concept will be reconsidered, from the design of the bar and dining room, to the wine program and menu. These boys don’t like to sit still, this re-evaluation marks the venue’s fourth incarnation.

The duo, who are also behind vegetarian fine-diner Yellow and wine bar Monopole, both in Potts Point, have once again enlisted Melbourne’s Pascale Gomes-McNabb to help rejuvenate the space, which is slated to reopen in May this year.

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The bar will be made into a more distinct space, and see high and low waxed grey leather banquettes ushered in, as well as brass and dark-timber tables. The glass balustrade that separates the bar from the main dining room will be masked with a green mural. The main dining room will also be fitted out with new light fixtures, while a mural will shield the high, ornate ceiling. And then there’s the food.

“When we first started speaking about making changes to Bentley, I didn’t realise just how challenging it would be to look at the menu anew. The new Bentley menu has a defined focus on sourcing interesting and unique ingredients and is more of an evolution of what we’ve been doing at Bentley, rather than a new direction,” says Savage.

That means the a la carte menu will be filtered down, while the tasting menu will include two rounds of snacks, followed by three to four courses and dessert.

Savage is also making changes to the lunch offering, which will be a set one-, two- or three-course menu – with diners selecting from four entrees, four mains and four desserts, as well as daily specials.

Expect Tasmanian hand-dived abalone with hen of the wood mushrooms and roast-chicken mayonnaise; and Skull Island prawns with guanciale, Koshihikari
rice (super premium rice from Japan) and sea herbs.

Bentley Bar and Restaurant will close at the end of the month before reopening in May this year.