Long before the rooftop became hospitality’s accoutrement du jour, the fifth-floor horseshoe terrace at the then- Wentworth Hotel ruled over Sydney as rooftop royalty. Now, after a 10-month renovation, the grand-daddy of the genre will reopen on Friday, October 25. When the hotel opened in 1966, its rooftop was a guest-only zone: stars Audrey Hepburn and Marlon Brando were among the lucky stay-overs who could enjoy its city vistas.
Later guests Margaret Thatcher and Vladimir Putin might’ve put the terrace’s then reputation for high tea to the test. Later again, it was home to the Garden Court restaurant. With the Sofitel Sydney Wentworth’s food and beverage operations now in the hands of external restaurant operator House Made Hospitality (the group behind the chef’s hatted Lana restaurant and Promenade Bondi), the terrace has been reinvented as Wentworth Bar .
The landmark rooftop site has a new addition: a sprawling copper and glass awning to shield its 250 guests from the elements. “Even when it’s pouring down, it’s still a great place to sit and eat,” says House Made director Jason Williams. With wine by the glass starting at $13, they’ve made the venue approachable.
A Slipper-y When Wet cocktail lands at $25. Vietnamese-French restaurant Delta Rue also opens on level five onFriday and the kitchen will punch out a menu for Wentworth Bar guests. But what has propelled the spread of rooftop venues across Sydney? Operators say we’ve been playing catch-u.
