Chef Curtis Stone is set to open his first Australian restaurant and bar at Waldorf Astoria Sydney after almost a decade of Michelin-starred success in California.

In an exclusive interview with delicious., Stone described creating the menu for Waldorf Astoria Sydney as “one of the highlights of my career”. He said it felt like the right moment to set his sights on Australia, as his team were ready for the next challenge and opportunity. “Restaurant Gwen [in Los Angeles] has just turned 10 and is really standing on its own feet, which will allow me to divert some of my attention back to Australia. We’ve grown our team substantially and have always dreamt of opening a restaurant back here,” he said.

“I’ve always been absolutely in love with Aussie hospitality and how we do it back here and the excitement around the brilliant Australian produce that is available to us. It’s all come together at the right time,” he said.

The two venues will anchor the top floors of One Circular Quay – located on Levels 24 and 25 – inside Australia’s first Waldorf Astoria Hotel, with its opening slated for 2027. It marks Stone’s first permanent restaurant project in Australia.

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For Stone, who relocated to the United States from London in the early 2000s to shoot a TV show, the move is personal. “I couldn’t be more excited to be partnering with Waldorf Astoria Sydney to bring something very special to Sydney in such an unbelievable setting like Circular Quay,” Stone said of the partnership.

“Waldorf Astoria is such an iconic brand and, more than the reputation of the brand, it’s the attitude towards hospitality that is second to none. I’ve been lucky enough to stay in several Waldorf Astorias around the world and experience it firsthand. It’s a level of luxury that I can’t wait for Australia to see.”

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Marlene Poynder, general manager of Waldorf Astoria Sydney, said the partnership marks a defining moment for the brand’s Australian debut:

“To work with a chef of Curtis’ calibre makes this especially meaningful. Together, we’re creating a destination where exceptional hospitality, world-class dining and perhaps one of the world’s most remarkable harbourfront settings come together to deliver an unforgettable guest experience.”

What to expect from Curtis Stone’s new restaurant

Live-fire cooking is Stone’s signature style and the chef says he is looking forward to bringing the open-flame cooking philosophy he built at Gwen in Los Angeles to Sydney Harbour. Stone said he’s always been obsessed with live-fire cooking, which is what he built restaurant Gwen around. “The idea of being able to impart so much flavour, aroma and texture through a live fire to me is the greatest way to cook. It also takes a lot of skill for a chef to be able to manage a fire as well as cook delicious food. You become a part-time fire manager, part-time chef when cooking that way,” he says.

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As well as being built around live-fire cooking, the restaurant, which will be about 100 seats, will celebrate native Australian ingredients alongside premium homegrown produce. Expect the theatre of an open chef’s counter, where the heat and intensity of the the flames sits in contrast to the sweeping views out to the Sydney Harbour Bridge and Sydney Opera House.

“Live fire will have a big presence on the menu at Waldorf Astoria Sydney. There’s something so special about the scent of a restaurant that focuses on a live fire. We’ve been gathering around fire for centuries telling stories, seeking comfort and nourishment and there’s something instinctual that feels fantastic when looking at, smelling and tasting the fire that has created the food,” he says.

The partnership with Stone fits a broader pattern for the Waldorf Astoria brand, which has spent recent years pairing its hotels with globally acclaimed chefs: Gordon Ramsay at Au Trianon in Versailles, Daniel Boulud at Café Boulud in the brand’s upcoming London property and three-Michelin-starred Heinz Beck at La Pergola in Rome among them. Stone’s Sydney restaurant continues that lineage with a distinctly Australian voice.

What will be on the menu?

Stone said he’s extremely excited about the brilliant Australian produce that will be available to his team of chefs. “One of the most exciting things about Sydney to me is the Sydney Fish Market, where a variety of incredible fishermen and women bring their catch in on a daily basis. We really have some of the best waters in the world. When I opened a butcher shop in LA we started importing wonderful beef and lamb directly from Oz so we have great relationships with producers and I can’t wait to work closely with them within Australia,” he says.

Stone says he’s also excited to work with Indigenous Australian ingredients that can’t be found anywhere else in the world.

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What to expect from Stone’s new bar

Level 25, one floor up from the restaurant, houses the hotel’s rooftop bar, complete with a retractable roof opening onto uninterrupted harbour views. Positioned as a premier destination for locals and visitors, the space channels the same standard of hospitality Waldorf Astoria has built into its global portfolio from Clare Smyth’s upcoming Coreus in London to Dave Pynt’s The Ledge, opening at Waldorf Astoria Maldives Ithaafushi and Waldorf Astoria Bali.

Candice D’Cruz, vice president, Luxury Brands, Asia Pacific, Hilton, said the Stone partnership reflects the brand’s approach to these collaborations more broadly:

“Culinary excellence has always been integral to Waldorf Astoria, bringing together exceptional talent, iconic destinations, and a deep sense of place… Partnering with a globally renowned Australian chef like Curtis Stone for our Australian debut reflects our commitment to creating unforgettable dining experiences that are unmistakably Waldorf Astoria.”

When does the Waldorf Astoria Sydney open?

The Waldorf Astoria Sydney is a luxury new-build hotel located at One Circular Quay and is scheduled to open in 2027.

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