Few restaurants and bars in Sydney can lay claim to the storied history and decadence that Darling Glebe delivers to the city’s dining scene.

Located on the site of the iconic Darling Mills on Glebe Point Rd, the newly opened 100-seat brasserie and its Ferrari Martini Lounge mix playful spins on forgotten recipes, signature martinis and French omakase dining in an intimate, atmospheric setting.

Helming the kitchen is chef and restaurateur Jeff Schroeter (pictured main), who has worked in Michelin-starred kitchens and dining rooms including London’s The Savoy, The Royalton Hotel in New York, and Sydney institutions Bistro Moncur and Bayswater Brasserie. He has also cooked privately for everyone from the late Queen Elizabeth II to Anna Wintour.

His latest venture features five character-filled rooms carved from convict-chipped sandstone, reclaimed heritage brick and vaulted ceilings from Edmund Blackett’s original St John’s Church.

The subterranean venue unfolds slowly and unforgettably. Patrons can start, end or bookend the evening in the Ferrari Martini Lounge, named in honour of Roman-born master stonemason Sergio Ferrari, who spent more than 12 years excavating and hand-building the unique site.

The cocktail list, which is served from the elegantly curved bar, has been curated by award-winning bartender Charlie Ainsbury.

Drinks Digest sampled the Chef’s Martini, a revival of the early martini, before dryness became a dare. This is the chef’s own recipe, built with balance in mind. It features three parts Plymouth gin to two parts Dolin dry vermouth, with a restrained touch of olive brine. Shaken briefly to integrate and soften, it’s then served ice cold with three olives. 

We then passed through the grand hallway into the dining room, which is anchored by white-clothed wooden tables commissioned by Darling Mills’ owners more than three decades ago, and crafted from a single, 13-metre coachwood tree.

Our culinary adventure commenced with Darling Glebe’s revived 130-year-old oyster Rockefeller recipe, matched with the brasserie’s signature champagne Charles Heidsieck Brut Réserve. The oysters were accompanied by Dawn rustic sliced baguette, which we placed on on 100-year-old hand-painted art deco bread plates and lavished with cultured butter.

We also enjoyed some of Schroeter’s beloved signature dishes, including escargot en cocotte – snails baked in garlic butter with a puff pastry lid (affectionately known as snail pie) – strawberry foie gras (a happy kitchen accident turned classic) and duck à l’orange with orange kumquat glaze and Archie Rose Sunrise Lime Gin. 

Each dish offered rich umami flavours, with the strawberry foie gras – seared foie gras with poached strawberries and barrel-aged balsamic – being a particular highlight, matched with a superb 2024 Tohu Pinot Gris from Marlborough, New Zealand.

And make sure to leave room for dessert – the Little Marionette Coffee Creme Brulee we sampled was superb, as was the 2023 Bream Creek ‘Late picked’ Schonburger that accompanied it.

Produce is sourced directly from Darling Mills Farm, which is still owned and run by Darling Mills founders’ the Adey family, with Schroeter promising to delve into their 35-year-old cookbook from time-to-time.

Darling Glebe is open from 5pm from Wednesdays to Sundays, as well as lunch from noon on Fridays.

Visit darlingglebe.com.au for more information or to make a reservation.

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