Henry Deane celebrates 10th birthday with new menu

Sip on vegemite-infused, prosciutto-topped and fish tank air pump-made cocktails at rooftop lounge bar Henry Deane, which has launched an insatiable new food and drinks menu to celebrate its 10th birthday.

The much-loved venue, located atop Hotel Palisade at Millers Point and boasting one of the city’s best views of Sydney Harbour, is embarking on an exciting new era, one decade on from when it first opened.

New head chef David McConaghie and licensee and head of bars Kau Sampaio have joined forces to create an immersive culinary experience that extends from the plate to the glass. There are 10 new cocktails to try, many of which have been designed to complement specific dishes and contain shared ingredients, from mustard and kafir lime to rhubarb and walnuts.

Sampaio (ex-Four Seasons and Caterpillar Club) says the symbiosis between the bar and kitchen is something the team has been building for a long time, and it’s great to see it come to fruition. “It allows us to take guests on a sensory journey, where their whole palette is activated and they’re able to see, touch, taste and smell everything that’s in front of them,” he says.

“By utilising the same produce, we’re also able to keep our waste as close to zero as we can.” The cocktails have been made using the full kaleidoscope of mixology techniques, from fatwashing to milk punch, infusion, carbonation, clarification and the incorporation of oils, cordials, shrubs and pickles.

Slink into one of the lounge chairs overlooking the Sydney Harbour Bridge and sample the Home Slice ($25), which pays homage to the classic Aussie breakfast of vegemite on toast. Fun and unpretentious, it’s made with sourdough bread-soaked vodka, verjuice, charcoal-activated vanilla syrup and vegemite.

Warm up with the Dijon Vu ($26), a Mezcal-led drink made with apple, grapefruit and mustard shrub, which comes garnished with an edible horseradish-glazed slice of prosciutto.

For those with more of a taste for all things floral there’s Bloom Service ($25). White rum, apple, cranberry, cherries and elderflower combine over crushed ice for a more complex take on a strawberry daiquiri, that’s as sweet as it is instagrammable, coming served with pink pashmak, or Persian fairy floss.

But it’s the Miss Marshie ($24) that has arguably the most unique backstory. The team utilises champagne from opened bottles – which would historically have been discarded – with vodka, toasted marshmallow syrup, clarified lime and bitters into a syrup.

Sampaio says it’s then carbonated before being garnished with pineapple foam made from brand new fish tank air pumps. “Foams have been used as a technique to add texture and flavour to cocktails for years, but historically they’re made with egg whites and culinary gas syphons, which both generates more waste and tends to make them heavier,” he says.

“I wanted to be more creative when developing the menu, so I used the air pumps from a fish tank to create a more delicate and dainty foam that really complements the rest of the drink, but which still looks like a glass of rosé champagne.”

Henry Deane’s new food offering is just as impressive, with McConaghie creating a punchy list of thoughtful, flavour-driven dishes, which incorporate his French fine dining background and love for Middle Eastern cuisine.

Everything is designed to be shared – and enjoyed over cocktails – from smaller plates like the chickpea panisse, smoked carrot and macadamia feta ($16), to larger plates like the Jerusalem artichokes with smoked mushroom jus, cultured cream and guanciale ($26), spiced prawn and butter bean dip ($30), grilled chicken with preserved lemon and hot pepper paste ($40) and lightly-seared swordfish ($42).

The dip is topped with Blue Mountains honey that’s fermented for more than five weeks with chilli, garlic and thyme, while the carrots in the panisse undergo a 48-hour multistep process where they’re steamed, smoked, roasted, marinated, diced and seasoned to create a tartare.

McConaghie, who is from England but grew up in France before moving to Sydney, says customers can expect the unexpected with the seasonally changing menu. “Each dish contains a complex flavour profile, with each bite offering up something different,” he says.

“We’re also showcasing under-utilised produce, for example like the Jerusalem artichoke, which we’ve roasted and glazed to create a rich, smoky dish that’s both snappy on the outside and soft on the inside.”

Henry Deane is open from 4pm to 10pm, Tuesday to Thursday, and from 12pm to midnight, Friday to Sunday.

Visit hotelpalisade.com.au for more information or to make a reservation.