Teddy

In the high-wire act of hospitality, you’re rarely offered a do-over. But that’s exactly what Ezra’s Nick and Kirk Mathews Bowden are getting in Teddy, which they opened in the space that held their Indian restaurant Raja.

Teddy is nothing if not timely. It’s running with a “triple-A” ethos: approachable, accessible and affordable, with a menu by Ben Sears (Public Wine Shop, ex-Ezra). Ezra head chef Nicole Coelho is stepping up as group head chef across the boys’ two neighbouring venues.

At Teddy, the starters steal the show. It’s all nostalgia via slightly retro dishes. Warm dinner rolls come in a basket with a pink paper liner and hot garlicky butter, the pork and lobster sausage roll is dressed in “a little pink tuckshop bag”, with a side of “fancy” tomato sauce. The Royal with Cheese introduces tartare to cheeseburgers, with the beef topped with smoked cheddar, ready to be ferried to your gob with Melba toast (and a Polly-Pocket-sized bottle of Tabasco alongside).

Completing Teddy’s wink at ’80s dining is the king prawn cocktail and grilled lamb chops with green sauce, lemon and very ’80s frilly paper manchettes.

Sticking to theme of approachability, the Mathews Bowdens don’t want anyone to have to Google ingredients. There’s a cacio e pepe pasta bake; a schnitty; a swordfish; and a minute steak served with “cafe de Sydney” butter, revved up with Keen’s Curry Powder, fish sauce and Maggi seasoning.

The team’s made some cosmetic changes to the Raja space, rather than completely reimagining the fit-out. “It’s got the most beautiful bones. It was a restaurant called Natalinos in the ’70s, ’80s and ’90s. We’re having a little bit of fun with retro neon nods. It’s fun and playful, and has that camp, Dirty Dancing ’80s nod.”

The pair hope this will be the sort of place you can come “for all reasons and all seasons”, be it to celebrate a birthday or just for a weeknight wine and jaffle from the happy hour menu. As Nick says, “Come as you are”.