Neil Perry enlists Collette Dinnigan to transform Song Bird
Renowned chef Neil Perry has brought in celebrated designer and longtime friend Collette Dinnigan to help elevate his Double Bay Cantonese restaurant, Song Bird.
Perry opened the 240-seat restaurant within his $12 million Double Bay hospitality precinct in August 2024. Unlike his successful neighbouring restaurant Margaret, Song Bird experienced a difficult launch.
"The first three months were the worst of my life," Perry admitted. "I should have cancelled a month’s worth of bookings, so we could open properly."
Perry explained that budget overruns forced him to rush the opening before staff were adequately trained and essential equipment, including the dumbwaiter for transporting food between floors, was functioning correctly.
"Even after this many years in business, you can still make monumental mistakes," he said.
Dinnigan, who has been friends with Perry for over 30 years, was brought in to address the restaurant's interior issues. Perry noted the venue's stylish but hard surfaces created "pretty horrific" acoustics. Dinnigan helped select acoustic foam to improve sound quality while adding decorative elements to columns and backing boards. She's also enhancing the entrance with antique birdcages and curating artwork for the space.
The collaboration extends beyond their professional relationship—Dinnigan, who owns a farm in the Southern Highlands, supplies eggs for Perry's signature crab omelette at Margaret.
Alongside the design improvements, Perry has expanded Song Bird's menu beyond traditional Cantonese cuisine. Drawing inspiration from his previous ventures Wokpool and Spice Temple, he's incorporated Japanese, Korean, Thai, and Vietnamese flavours.
"Coming on seven months at Song Bird and it's a totally different restaurant," Perry said. "It's brilliant now."
Recent bookings and reviews would suggest the changes are resonating with diners.
Jonathan Jackson, 21st April 2025
