Adrian Lander
When Gerald Diffey and Mario Di Ienno, owners of Geralds Bar in North Carlton, announced it was moving to larger premises a few blocks away, their bar’s legions of fans both mourned and feared the change. What might be lost in the new, shinier digs? Could the specific magic of the small Rathdowne Street original be repeated? Turns out, Geralds 2.0 is about magic reconfigured, not lost.
Housed in the former Rising Sun Hotel, it now has an expansive bar, separate dining room, upstairs bar and function room, large courtyard and a state-of-the-art kitchen. But it also channels the original Geralds with its all-vinyl soundtrack, original stools at the curved central wooden bar, familiar riot of ephemera and art (the iconic David Bailey photo of Michael Caine watches over this bar, too) and many of the same seasoned staff bringing witty personality to the equation.
The drinks list is familiar too, with wines highlighting small producers from the Old and New Worlds alongside well-made cocktails, both classic and original. But the menu is where some real differences emerge. A similar format to the old Geralds (a single-page list of regularly changing, cuisine-hopping good times), the flashier kitchen and the addition of chef Matt Podbury teaming up with long-time Geralds chef Pete Savage has seen the food elevated while still retaining its crowd-pleasing ways.
Raw nannygai from WA, brined in sea salt and soused in elderflower vinegar, is teamed with a cucumber chutney, horseradish yoghurt and Aleppo pepper, a finely tuned symphony of texture and flavour. It’s a similar situation with quickly blanched asparagus under a delicious smother of Hollandaise sauce turbocharged with umami via baker’s yeast, black garlic and kombu and a quail Scotch egg, yolk perfectly gooey, wrapped in duck mince, crumbed fried and served with a powerful Cumberland sauce for full flavour-bomb action.
There might also be scrambled eggs on house-made brioche finished with white Alba truffles, a superb poached potato dish with garlicky buttermilk and lovage sauce paired with translucent ribbons of lardo and, from the separate pastry kitchen, expert versions of classics like baked cheesecake and crème caramel.
A separate dining room called The Parlour offers a $145pp, four-course menu, and a contemporary take on high tea on Sunday afternoons is still to come. Given the impressive standard of the food, it’s exciting, even for those still mourning the Geralds of old.
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