In the Beginning

When Nick Hildebrandt and I opened Bentley Restaurant & Bar in Sydney in March 2006, our mission was to change the way Australians approach food and wine.

In 2005, I was fortunate to be The Sydney Morning Herald’s Chef of the Year and, in that same year, Nick was named Sommelier of the Year. That was when our partnership was born.

Nick and I were two young guys with passion and experience, but without the budget to create the ideal restaurant. So we had to get creative. This has been indicative of our style and philosophy at Bentley. We wanted to create a restaurant that served great food and wine, but without the stiff and sterile environment that had dominated the dining scene.