CBD hospitality hub The International swings open its doors on Thursday, November 7, with a design topping $10 million and three levels of luxe on the upper slopes of Martin Place. The multi-level launch begs the question: is the rooftop vista Sydney hospitality’s new water view? The International’s rooftop Panorama Bar joins recent CBD openings Wentworth Bar at the Sofitel Sydney Wentworth and Japanese-inspired Joji on George Street as the latest entrant to a once quietly bubbling rooftop trend, which has morphed into Sydney’s hospitality accoutrement de jour. The International’s ground-floor Wine Bar also opens on November 7, while its slick mid-level restaurant, The Grill, follows next week.
But it’s the crowning rooftop that has garnered the early attention. Co-owner Brett Robinson knows all about the lure of a rooftop. His hospitality group, The Point, opened Shell House and Sky Bar in 2021, which taught him rooftop vistas across neighbouring buildings in the Wynyard precinct could be every bit as alluring for diners as a seat beside Sydney Harbour.
“Shell House feels like you’re in Hong Kong, or New York. I’ve never seen Sydney like you do from The International – its mixture of vintage and new buildings, the modernist mushroom next door and the Macquarie Bank building,” Robinson says. “It’s a new perspective of Sydney rather than a postcard view.
” At night, Robinson says The International has the advantage over waterside venues, which often pe.