By James Atkinson
Billed as a “cellar door in the city”, Nomad has launched on Foster Street in Surry Hills, in what has become one of Sydney’s hottest bar and restaurant precincts.
In just a few months, the area bordered by Wentworth, Campbell and Commonwealth streets has welcomed Irish-inspired small bar Wild Rover, Golden Age Cinema & Bar, Vietnamese restaurant Madame Nhu, alongside stalwarts Bar H, Tio’s, Hollywood Hotel and a resurgent Royal Albert Hotel.
Now Al Yazbek (formerly of Toko) and his partner Rebecca Littlemore have launched Nomad in the former site of lifestyle and design showroom, Spence & Lyda.
The restaurant aims to showcase the best of Australia’s boutique wineries, with the wine list developed by Rob Geddes MW putting particular emphasis on emerging regions like Orange, Mudgee and Canberra.
"Nomad's wine list comprises wines that have been ‘grown rather made’ to show aromatic complexity and flavour detail reflecting their origins and retaining food friendliness. These wines are medium to full bodied with natural acid, moderate alcohol and are food friendly,” Geddes said.
House made cheese and charcuterie is a key element of the food offer, which otherwise aims to showcase the best of seasonal Australian produce. Chef Nathan Sasi recently returned from working at Heston Blumenthal’s London restaurant Dinner.
Sasi describes his ethos as: “A revival of old world techniques such as pickling, curing, smoking, drying, fermenting, cheese making and whole animal butchering where nothing is wasted.”
Nomad is located at 16 Foster St, Surry Hills and is open for lunch Monday to Friday and dinner Monday to Saturday.