Jason Atherton to open Kensington Street Social in Sydney

Michelin-starred chef Jason Atherton, of London restaurants including Pollen Street Social, Social Eating House and City Social, is to open his first Australian venue on 13 January 2016.

The 120-cover, two-storey Kensington Street Social will open at the Old Clare hotel in Chippendale, Sydney, in partnership with Loh Lik Peng, director of global boutique hotel and restaurant group the Unlisted Collection.

Open seven days a week, it will serve British-Mediterranean-inspired food all day from executive chef Rob Daniels, with whom Atherton has already worked on openings such as Maze London and Maze One & Only Cape Town.

The menu will be designed around flexible dining, sharing plates and snacks, including flatbreads, fish and shellfish, and raw and cured options. There will also be a range of cocktails and a list of Australian wines from beverage director Matt Fairhurst, from London's City Social.

There will also be a range of cheese-focused dishes, including with Australian variety Holy Goat La Luna goat's cheese served with pickled fennel, bitter orange jam and cress. A Sunday brunch menu is also set to feature porridge and healthy omelettes. Cocktail examples are set to include the Fruit Looped Cereal Killer with vodka, "Fruit Loop milk", apricot and Aperol served in a milk carton.

The restaurant, which has been designed by Shanghai agency Neri & Hu, will also look after all the food and beverage operation at the hotel, including room service, the Clare bar and Rooftop pool and bar.

Atherton, who also operates the London sites Little Social and Social Wine and Tapas, is no stranger to international locations, with openings across his portfolio including the Marina Social in Dubai; 22 Ships, Ham & Sherry, and Aberdeen Street Social in Hong Kong; the Clock Tower in New York; and the Commune Social in Shanghai.

Atherton's restaurant group in Australia is managed by British general manager Michael Gavaghan, formerly of Claridge's and Sydney venue the Gazebo.

Commenting on the opening, Atherton said: "I'm so excited to be opening my first restaurant in Sydney. I'm all about sourcing the best produce, and here the ingredients are just incredible - Australian black truffles, the seafood - so I'm looking forward to using them to reinterpret a few of the signature dishes from my London restaurants."

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