Sydney’s hottest drinking and dining destination – and new home of Kylie Kwong and Matt Whiley – is now welcoming food and drink lovers to Redfern.
A stone’s throw from Redfern Station, Locomotive Street in South Eveleigh is quickly emerging as Sydney’s newest drinking and dining attraction. Once home to a collection of old railway sheds, developer Mirvac has lovingly restored the heritage buildings, retaining hundreds of old artefacts as a reminder of the location’s manufacturing heyday. Even a blacksmith works on-site.
Mirvac has not only restored the heritage buildings and retained hundreds of old artefacts, but also created a vibrant new destination
It’s here, in Sydney’s former industrial heartland, a raft of Sydney’s most celebrated culinary forces have chosen to make their new home. Already open for business and doing a roaring trade, you can find Eat Fuh, RaRa Chan, Steve Costi’s Famous Fish, Fishbowl and Bekya, among others.
Mirvac’s Head of Commercial Property, Campbell Hanan said: “The vision for South Eveleigh has been not only to create a world-class technology and innovation hub to work and play, but also to curate a food and retail space that has people and community at its heart, and that is welcoming and accessible to everyone.
“Some of Australia’s best and most dynamic restaurateurs and operators have chosen South Eveleigh as their home due to the history, culture and unique opportunity to be a part of shaping this vibrant new destination,” said Hanan.
The local community is embracing Locomotive Street, and the rest of our openings for 2021 will offer them many more reasons to visit.”
Diverse dining, drinking, work, shopping and health & wellness for the local community
In mid-April, Matt Whiley, in collaboration with Maurice Terzini, will open Re, the world’s first permanent no waste bar in one of the repurposed Locomotive Workshops. Whiley is also South Eveleigh’s Maven of Beverages, and will be curating an exciting program of events and activations throughout the year.
They’ll be joined by Kylie Kwong (South Eveleigh’s ambassador for food, culture and community) in May when she opens her eagerly awaited new eatery in the Locomotive Workshops, while later in the year, The Grounds is set to open its third Sydney venue and event space at the new lifestyle hub.
Romeo’s Food Hall IGA, a new concept store in the Locomotive Workshops
Following the successful launch of Locali by Romeo’s in Sydney’s CBD, the independent supermarket chain will open Romeo’s Food Hall IGA, a new concept store in the Locomotive Workshops in April that will feature a pizzeria, patisserie, sushi bar, roastery and florist. Orazio D’Elia, Matteo owner and executive chef, has once again collaborated with Romeo’s Food Hall IGA on the food offering.
Priceline is also now open on Central Avenue at South Eveleigh, joining other retailers and wellness facilities at South Eveleigh including Nail Depot Bar, BodyFit, yoga studio and wholefood café, Egg of the Universe and Xtend Barre.
South Eveleigh borders Alexandria and Redfern, Sydney’s former industrial heartland
South Eveleigh, with borders to Alexandria and Redfern, has been undergoing transformation since 2016, evolving the area into a vibrant new destination for diverse dining, drinking, work, shopping, and health and wellness for the local community.
South Eveleigh was the birthplace of the Eveleigh Railway Workshops, Australia’s national rail network in the 19th century. As well as having significant historical relevance for industrial Australia, the site is one with important Indigenous legacy. South Eveleigh is working with local Indigenous community groups to ensure this legacy is represented throughout the community hub.
The local community embracing the new precinct
Jiwah, an Indigenous cultural and landscape design firm run by Clarence Slockee, oversees the South Eveleigh Community Rooftop Garden as well as the landscaping throughout South Eveleigh. The Community Rooftop Garden will be a place for education on native fauna as well as one of a couple of places in the precinct, which will be used to grow edible plants for use by the hospitality retailers.
Public art plays a central role at South Eveleigh. ‘Eveleigh Treehouse’ 2019 by Nell and Cave Urban and ‘Interchange Pavilion’ 2020 by Chris Fox, both curated by Carriageworks, are two major pieces unveiled.
