First Look: Darlinghurst’s Theeca Reopens With a Fresh Fit-Out and Dinner for Brunch

Hiding in a leafy courtyard just off Oxford Street, Theeca brims with al fresco dining tables under a striped awning. Its brunch draws a young (and impeccably dressed) crowd that was back in full force when the Darlinghurst favourite reopened its doors after a brief hiatus for a quick reno.

At first glance, not much has changed. The cul-de-sac still buzzes with groups waiting for tables. The outdoor space is untouched. But inside, Theeca’s had a glow-up.

“Heading into winter, we wanted to make the interior more spacious and more modern,” Eunseok Lee tells Broadsheet. He owns Theeca with his friends Taeho Kang and Junsoo Park, and it’s the trio's first hospo venture.

What was once a too-dark space is now a bright dining room offshoot to a small open kitchen. As you move past to your table, catch chefs at work – often ladling thick batter into pans for the signature pancake. All the walls wear a fresh (and much brighter) coat.

But some things were too good to be messed with, like certain menu items. That pancake had to stay, obviously, as did the truffled mushroom omelette. And with dinner proving a hit before the reno, the team decided to promote a few of the night-time stars to the brunch slot.

Head in from 7.30am for casarecce with bright green pesto tossed with ricotta then showered with parm, before you cap off your dinner-y morning meal with mouthfuls of the house-made cloud-like tiramisu: both are primo in Sydney’s current cold spell. There are all the morning classics, but also roasted barramundi with black rice salad; a serve of saucy meatballs and scrambled eggs; and charred eggplant with AP bread and a zesty green tahini.

Theeca is open at night from Thursday till Sunday, but Lee hints that by spring there’ll be additions to the menu that takes it further into wine bar territory.

But we think the food’s already excellent alongside a drop. There are briny snacks like olives and anchovies, and a rich house-made chicken liver parfait. But the team will be doubling down on the dinner menu and levelling up its wine list.

Lee hints that an industry expert is leading the charge here, with the list expected to expand to 100 bottles (60 of which are already locked in). The staircase inside will pull triple duty as a wine rack and a spot for speakers – with a place for a resident DJ to settle in.

The slow evolution of the day-to-night eatery is admirable and allows the young team to direct the changes in response to their guests. Theeca’s full transformation is expected to happen by September, when there’ll be a party to welcome the next season’s menu, the finished look and that 100-bottle wine list. The best, Lee promises, is still to come.

Theeca
1 Burton St, Darlinghurst
(02) 8530 1130

Hours:
Mon to Wed 7.30am–3pm
Thu to Sun 7.30am–late
theeca.com.au
@theeca_darlinghurst