Soft mood lighting, golden-hued marble tables, plush velvet chairs and Alexander Calder tapestries make for an impressive introduction at Parlar, the latest restaurant by Sydney restaurateur Andrew Becher. It’s a fine-dining concept that aims to share the cuisine of Catalonia (in Spain’s north-east) with Sydneysiders, located on Macleay Street, right next door to its sibling Franca.

“It was really about the space,” Becher tells Broadsheet. “Having Franca next door, when this space became available it was an opportunity to showcase Catalan cuisine, a cuisine I’m really passionate about, but in a fine-dining setting, which hasn’t really been done in Australia.”

The name Parlar, meaning “to chatter” in Spanish, is a double entendre for the English “parlour”, hinting at the kind of experience Becher hopes to create. With only 55 seats, it’s predominantly a bookings-only restaurant.

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“We want people to reserve their space and really enjoy their time here,” explains Becher. The vibe, like at Franca, is louche but luxurious. And the interiors, designed by Joshua Clapp from Steel & Stitch, feel warm, inviting and intimate.

The menu by head chef Jose Saulog – who also heads up the kitchen at Franca and spent two years at the Michelin-starred Lakeside in Hamburg – is based on Australian produce and seafood but with a Catalan twist, using popular techniques from the Iberian Peninsula such as a cooking over a charcoal Josper grill.

“A lot of the menu is based on sharing and tapas, but using Australian ingredients with a Spanish interpretation,” explains Saulog. There’s bacalao (salted cod) croquettes topped with caviar; Wagyu flank steak drizzled with Pedro Ximénez sherry; and a charcoal-grilled Catalan seafood platter, which includes lobster with smoked samfaina (the Catalan version of ratatouille) and scampi with a sobrasada (cured Spanish sausage) butter. There are also cava-dressed side salads, and a take on a sausage and egg muffin with chorizo and manchego.

Like the food, the cocktail list by Alex Raclet puts a boozy Catalonian spin on classics and champions the fortified wines so popular in the region, such as vermouth and sherry.

“It’s a modern cocktail menu with Catalonian twists on familiar cocktails. We want to make sure everyone can find their favourites,” explains Raclet. The Riviera – a spritz made with fino sherry, gin, fresh grapefruit and tonic – is a riff on a G&T, while the Twisted Sangria is a refined take on the Spanish classic with tempranillo, cognac, Cointreau, blackcurrant, and ginger beer. There are also Spanish wines – particularly tempranillo – plus bottles from the Mediterranean coastlines of France and Italy, as well as Australian options.

“We’re so excited to give Potts Point another fine-dining restaurant,” says Becher. “The city deserves it”.

Parlar
81 Macleay Street, Potts Point
(02) 9184 7744

Hours:
Tue to Thu 5pm–midnight
Fri & Sat 12pm–midnight

parlar.com.au
@parlarpottspoint