The Buena

The Buena is home to three separate sections run by French chef Guillaume Brahimi (Guillaume and Four in Hand) and chef Ben Varela.

Downstairs is separated into The Buena and Bistro Moncur’s second restaurant, Bistro Moncur Mosman. Vista Bar is upstairs.

Marble benchtops, pressed leather booths, wooden panelling and brass detailing throughout gives the pub a luxe look. At the centre is a statement island bar with craft beers, a well-rounded wine selection and a dynamic list of cocktails created by bartender Kurtis Bosley (Four in Hand, Collaroy Hotel). The downstairs pub serves wood-fired pizzas only.

Brahimi and Varela oversee the kitchen at the Bistro Moncur in Woollahra, too. The menu is much the same as the original, with a few new dishes such as potato and ricotta gnocchi and mango meringue with passionfruit sorbet.

The food upstairs in the Vista Bar includes some pub classics (chicken schnitzel and a Wagyu beef burger) but still plays around with flavours with the share dishes. Try the yellowfin tuna poke on squid-ink crackers; spinach and feta cigars; barramundi tacos; or the whole roast chicken with tarragon sauce and honeyed carrots. There is also miso salmon with pickled cucumber and green-tea noodles; Junee lamb with haloumi; and asparagus and crab linguini.

For something sweet choose between a classic apple pie with vanilla custard; buttermilk panna cotta; or doughnuts with salted caramel and malt ice-cream.