Neil Perry continues Double Bay takeover with new luxe bar

Neil Perry is as prolific as ever as he continues to up the ante on quality dining experiences in Double Bay.

After opening Margaret, a tribute to his mother and backing that up with casual dining venue Next Door, which is literally next door to Margaret, he then opened cult bakery Baker Bleu with co-owners Mike and Mia Russell.

Perry isn’t done yet, in February 2024, he expects to launch modern Asian venue Song Bird which will draw menu inspiration from China to Vietnam and Korea.

Also set to launch that month is newly announced venture Bobbie.

Perry will work with Linden Pride, the man behind New York’s award-winning Dante to make Bobbie a sought-after Luxe basement bar.

Bobbie will be housed in the same Bay St building as Song Bird.

“Bobbie’s is named after Linden’s grandfather, the legendary radio broadcaster Bob Rogers,” Perry told Good Food.

“Mid-century, sexy, velvet: plush and lush. There’ll be live jazz, and all of Linden’s skill on drink-making will be on show.”

“You don’t get named as having the best martini and negroni in New York without being very good,” he said of the reputation Pride’s Dante.

Pride and Perry go way back, with the former polishing glasses for the Aussie when he was 17 and still a Sydneysider. He worked in hospitality while studying and lent Perry a helping hand in opening some of the celebrity chef’s most famous haunts.

“I’ve had him back here to do pop-ups, and we’ve done things at Dante … he’s a really good soul,” Perry said.

Jonathan Jackson - 6-6-23