Banksii opens at Barangaroo

Mediterranean influenced, botanical focused vermouth bar and bistro, Banksii has opened at The Streets of Barangaroo. The second venue from successful restaurateur duo chef Hamish Ingham and sommelier Rebecca Lines of Surry Hills’ Bar H, Banksii is open for lunch and dinner seven days a week.

The menu has a light, fresh approach and is designed to share. Small dishes include grilled prawns with curry leaf butter and pickled turmeric; Banksii chicken pate with muntrie jam and toast; and kangaroo carpaccio with pickled radish and nasturtium. Large dishes include botanical greens and cheese pie; mussels cooked in white vermouth, green olives and nettle butter; and glazed roasted half duck with red vermouth soaked native plums.

“I’ve had a great time incorporating botanicals in new dishes and I’m really happy with the menu we have developed and am excited for people to experience it,” Ingham says.

“We have a lot of ingredients on the menu that people may not have heard of that we want to showcase in an exciting and accessible way.”

Vermouth is the cornerstone of the drinks list with over 40 to be served straight, with tonic or in cocktails. There is a small selection of wine offered on tap, in addition to a 100 bin wine list focusing on Australian and Mediterranean wines.

“While we have a selection of vermouth cocktails on offer, we want to encourage people to try it as it has been traditionally served – over ice or tall with tonic. The drinks list comes with our suggestions of how best to enjoy each so people don’t feel intimidated to try something new,” Lines says.

The venue, which has been designed by renowned hospitality interior specialists Luchetti Krelle, has a strong focus on outdoor dining, with plenty of outdoor seating spread across the patio and bar area which can be enjoyed day and night, maximising its harbour front location.

“Barangaroo is such an amazing waterfront dining location, we really wanted to create a space that makes the most of the setting,” Ingham says.