Sydney’s fine dining scene has been dealt yet another devastating blow, with two acclaimed restaurants shutting their doors within days of each other.
Just as two-hatted Monopole in the CBD prepares for its final service on September 6, another award-winning eatery, Longshore in Chippendale, has confirmed it will close for good on September 13.
The Australian seafood-driven venue, located on Chippendale’s once-buzzing Kensington Street dining strip, opened in mid-2023 and quickly earned a chefs’ hat for its coastal-inspired menu.
But its run has been cut short after head chef Jarrod Walsh announced he was leaving to take up a new role at the Shell House in the city.
‘Since my resignation [as executive chef at Longshore and the neighbouring Old Clare Hotel], the management team has come to the hard decision that Longshore will no longer operate and the last service will be September 13,’ Jarrod told to the Sydney Morning Herald.
Announcing the news to Instagram, the post was immediately met with a flurry of loyal fans rallying in praise and support of the restaurant.
‘One of my favourites,’ one wrote. ‘Looking forward to the next thing!’
The closure marks another setback for the high-profile dining precinct, which has seen a string of high-end restaurants come and go since its highly anticipated launch in 2015.
Just as two-hatted Monopole in the CBD prepares for its final service on September 6, another award-winning eatery, Longshore in Chippendale (pictured), has confirmed it will close for good on September 13
The Australian seafood-driven venue, located on Chippendale’s once-buzzing Kensington Street dining strip, opened in mid-2023 and quickly earned a chefs’ hat for its coastal-inspired menu
The closure marks another setback for the high-profile dining precinct, which has seen a string of high-end restaurants come and go since its highly anticipated launch in 2015
Silvereye, headed by former Noma sous chef Sam Miller, was the first to fold in 2016. Celebrity British chef Jason Atherton’s Kensington Street Social followed in 2018, while Barzaari Chippendale shut after less than a year in 2019.
Even celebrated local chef Clayton Wells eventually walked away, first shuttering A1 Canteen in 2020 and then pulling the plug on his acclaimed Automata restaurant in 2022, saying at the time, ‘It’s the perfect time to zip up and move on’.
Upmarket Korean venue Jung Sung also bowed out in 2023, leaving Spice Alley’s bustling hawker stalls as the strip’s main drawcard.
Jarrod admitted the area had been a difficult place for high-end restaurants to survive, given the heavy student foot traffic in the neighbourhood.
Longshore had built a loyal following by fusing coastal produce and Asian techniques, paired with interiors featuring a striking seagrass matting wall.
While Jarrod is moving on, the Old Clare Hotel is expected to seek a new external operator to take over the prized Longshore space.
Monopole, on the other hand, is closing its doors after 13 years in operation.
Despite currently holding two-hats at the 2025 Australian Good Food Awards, the owners have made the unexpected decision to shutter it due to the ending of its lease.
After 13 years in operation, Monopole will close its doors on Saturday 6 September at the conclusion of its current lease
The Bentley Group, who are the owners of Sydney restaurant Monopole, have announced the venue’s upcoming closure
Monopole’s closure has surprised the Sydney restaurant scene given that it currently holds two-hats in the 2025 Australian Good Food Guide
The announcement was made by the restaurant’s parent company, The Bentley Group, which is owned by leading Australian hospitality operators, Nick Hildebrandt and Brent Savage.
‘Nick and Brent… announce the closure of two-hatted Monopole at the end of the restaurant’s current lease,’ they confirmed.
‘Monopole’s last service will be dinner on Saturday 6 September, and will trade for dinners Tuesday to Saturday and lunch on Friday until then.’
The owners also provided a joint statement, confirming that they were ‘extremely proud’ of what they’d achieved at Monopole, both in the original Potts Point location and the CBD.
The Bentley Group co-owners Nick Hildebrandt (left) and Brent Savage (right) were excited to announce the upcoming opening of their next venture, Waterview in Barangaroo with chef Darryl Martin (centre) at the helm
‘Monopole was a ground-breaking wine bar when we opened it and has always pushed the envelope, holding two hats for 10 years and winning multiple awards for its wine list,’ Nick and Brent said.
But in perhaps a flicker of hope for die-hard Monopole fans, the restaurant owners hinted that it might not necessarily be the end of the road.
‘[W]hile we’re sad that the lease has finished, we will never say never for a Monopole in the future,’ they concluded their statement.
Although one restaurant is closing, the announcement also confirmed that the business owners already have their next exciting restaurant in the works.
The Bentley Group will soon be opening a new venue called Watermans, which will be located at Barangaroo inside the recently completed One Sydney Harbour Lendlease development.
The new venture will be an Eastern Mediterranean restaurant with respected chef Darryl Martin – formerly of Barzaari – as executive chef.
Co-owner Nick confirmed that Watermans would be opening towards the end of the year, ‘right in time for summer’.
The upcoming 120-seat establishment will feature both indoor and outdoor dining areas and will be open seven days a week for both lunch and dinner.
