Located inside a heritage cash reserve on Sydney’s York St, acclaimed creative director Paul Schulte and a collective of hospitality game-changers have opened the doors to Sydney’s newest hotspot that’s become the perfect place to while away the hours eating great food, sampling curated wines and experiencing late night spontaneous parties unlike anything the CBD has seen in recent years.
Described as “an offbeat juxtaposition of understated design, colour, flamboyance and grunge brought together by eccentric, yet cultivated tastes,” according to its owners, each piece of furniture is built from scratch by Schulte’s hospitality design company, including an incredible feature light on the mezzanine level, bars crafted from concrete and plush velvet lounges.
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Split into three distinct sections, the ground floor and mezzanine, the wine cellar, and Pamela’s nightclub, the Prince of York is full of surprises. As Schulte himself describes it, “upstairs is for eating, downstairs for dancing”.
Through the front doors you’ll find the impressive concrete bar, tan leather stools, and the exposed brick walls with black and white Stephen Dupont photography and global art hung throughout. On this level you can take a seat at the bar – or take a table up on the mezzanine level where you can enjoy during lunch or dinner. Hosting an impressive menu of flamboyant dishes, try ordering the crab in a bag, a saucy pasta dish served – as you can guess – in a bag. Or try the soon-to-be infamous Venison tartare, served with a cheese and bone marrow filled toastie topped with a fried egg.
Downstairs trains rumble underneath the cellar that hosts the 150-year-old heritage wine vault, which took Schulte almost a year to open. The vault is now filled with rare, limited release wines from around the world. The wine list is made up of “interesting, fun and unusual” wines running from light to heavy varieties that pair perfectly with their sophisticated menu upstairs.
Further below on the basement level is the underground bar, Pamela’s. Emulating the grandeur of the scene of the late 80s and early 90s, Pamela’s is complete with a disco ball and stage, set for live music and theatrics. Here dancing on tables is highly encouraged, with Schulte’s design company engineering the tables to withstand an impromptu disco. Whilst dancing atop the terrazzo tables at the regular Friday night Bola de Disco you can sip on Champagne and mezcal – or just order one of the giant tequila punchbowls to share.
At the Prince of York you can easily spend hours within its walls by savouring its sophisticated menu, exploring the intriguing wine selection and dancing the night away in the underground disco den. “The idea was to be a bit of a one-stop shop,” explains Ed Loveday, one of the talents behind the establishment. “To bring back that idea of a destination where you can come in for dinner, stay for a drink and kick on down in Pamela’s.”
You can find the Prince of York at 18 York Street. Open from Monday to Saturday, midday to midnight. Visit: princeofyork.com.au