Yellow
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The esteemed Bentley duo, sommelier Nick Hildebrandt and chef Brent Savage, have sold their plant-powered fine diner Yellow to longtime head chef Sander Nooij and his friend (and now business partner) Mark Hanover (Canvas’s head chef).
Local producers will continue to be a big part of the MO, and there’ll be a bigger push towards true sustainability. Nooij's plan is to freshen up the space and approach change with care and respect.
“We think there are some assumptions with the words ‘vegan’ and ‘plant-based’... We are trying to create a really nice dining experience where you only eat plant food. We are not trying to teach you anything.
“It’s a really interesting thing. I think what [people] think of as vegan food is fried cauliflower and slightly bland curry. Or fake meat. And that’s not what we do at all."
The golden yellow terrace that sits midway down Macleay Street in Potts Point was once a gallery, exhibiting work from some of the city’s most fabled and famous artists. Later it became an artist residence, described as the very culmination of Sydney’s underground scene in the early '70s, and counted Brett Whitely, Ellis D Fogg and George Gittoes as members.
These days, head chef Sander Nooij and his friend (and now business partner) Mark Hanover (Canvas’s head chef) have taken the reins, making their mark on the historically colourful landmark with Yellow, a restaurant entirely focused on vegetables.
Yellow first opened in 2014. In early 2016, it made the switch to become Sydney’s first fine dining vegetarian and vegan restaurant (excepting the famous weekend brunches). Unlike other vegetarian places in Sydney, though, this isn’t based on ethics. It's about making vegetables taste incredible.
Across six refined courses that champion locally grown produce, expect neat-looking plates with seemingly simple combinations such as fermented pumpkin, pepitas and persimmon; broccoli, mustard and native lime; and eggplant, corn and black garlic.
In keeping with the switch to vegetables, the wine list has an eye on the future. If bottles from Australia’s most progressive producers can’t scratch your tannic itch, the restaurant also has access to Monopole’s 500-plus list.
Melbourne designer Pascal Gomes-McNabb is responsible for the interior – a softly lit dining room with accents of canary, mustard and saffron.
Contact Details
Phone: (02) 9332 2344
Website: yellowsydney.com.au
We do not seek or accept payment from the cafes, restaurants, bars and shops listed in the Directory – inclusion is at our discretion. Venue profiles are written by independent freelancers paid by Broadsheet.
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