Liquid & Larder’s The Gidley in Sydney’s CBD is ushering in a new era under Head Chef Corey Riches.
The Gidley has been around for five years now, with the underground kickstarting a new chapter that revolves around theatrical elements, quality cocktails, and premium produce.
“We felt it was time to shake things up and offer a new menu that people wouldn’t necessarily expect from us,” says James Bradey, owner of Liquid & Larder.
“As all good restaurants should, The Gidley is evolving but we are still staying true to what we feel a steakhouse should be.”
Riches has moved across from the group’s steak-centric concept Alfie’s and worked alongside Executive Chef Pip Pratt to develop the new menu.
Dishes are varied when it comes to influences, with Riches having worked in Hong Kong for several years before arriving in Sydney.
“Bigger is better” is the motto at The Gidley, with show-stopping dishes covering a seafood tower filled with chicken fat oysters, tuna belly Gildas, Moreton Bay bugs, and abalone as well as the slow-cooked suckling pig served by the quarter.
Jerk-spiced charcoal squid and the signature Riverine ribeye are two other must-orders that reflect the traditional ethos of the venue.
“We are still treating the ingredients the way a steakhouse would, with a focus on cooking over the grill and not overcomplicating it, but with a twist and more theatre,” says Riches.
Ben Ingall has recently joined the team as group bars manager and redeveloped the cocktail program at the restaurant.
A bold approach goes hand in hand with The Gidley’s ethos when it comes to cocktails, with Ingall putting together an Old Fashioned made with Buffalo Trace bourbon, maple, orange, and Mr Black Amaro as well as a Greyhound, which combines Tanqueray gin with grapefruit, Sepeltsfieild dry Apera, and sparkling.
The Gidley is open Monday to Saturday from 12pm until 12am.
