Sydney’s dining scene has never been short of ambitious Chinese restaurants. But Grandfathers in Angel Place, in the CBD, manages to feel genuinely different.
Hidden below street level in the CBD, this new restaurant combines the glamour of old Shanghai with the energy of a late-night jazz club. Think red lighting, dark booths, moody corners and a soundtrack that makes you want to linger long after dinner is over. It’s atmospheric and seductive, without being try-hard.
Grandfathers is the latest venture from the team behind Pellegrino 2000 and Clam Bar, and it draws heavily on the bold flavours of Sichuan and Guangdong cuisine. The result is a menu that balances refinement with intensity.
From the moment we arrived, staff were warm, attentive and genuinely enthusiastic about the food. Water glasses never sat empty for long, dishes arrived at a perfect pace and every recommendation felt thoughtful rather than rehearsed. Every table was filled this Sunday lunchtime, so that level of attention was impressive.
What we ate
We started with jade dumplings and xiao long bao — both outstanding. The dumplings were plump and delicate, packed with firm, sweet prawns, while the xiao long bao delivered that satisfying burst of rich broth that defines a great soup dumpling.
Then came the red emperor fragrant green chilli soup, which may well become one of the standout dishes of Sydney’s current restaurant moment. It arrived bubbling with green chillies and enough Sichuan peppercorns to make its intentions immediately clear. This is not a timid dish. It is unapologetically fiery, numbing and aromatic — exactly what great Sichuan cooking should be.
For those unfamiliar with the cuisine, Sichuan (or Szechuan) food is famous for its distinctive málà flavour: the combination of dried chillies that provide heat and Sichuan peppercorns that create that extraordinary tingling on the tongue, an almost anaesthetic sensation. It’s a style of cooking that is not for the faint hearted. Grandfathers embraces the tradition wholeheartedly.
The red emperor absorbed all those flavours beautifully: perfectly cooked fish swimming in a deeply fragrant broth. It was intense, addictive and impossible to stop eating.
Alongside it we ordered the king crab fried rice. It was fragrant, light and generously filled with sweet crab meat, a great contrast which managed to hold its own next to the chilli-heavy dishes.
We also shared the mapo tofu, another Sichuan classic, and again the kitchen showed no fear when it came to spice levels. Silken tofu arrived in a deeply savoury, chilli-rich sauce layered with peppercorn heat and umami. It had that addictive quality great mapo tofu should have.
One of the best surprises was the generosity of the portions. Too many fashionable CBD restaurants leave diners hunting for a late-night snack. Grandfathers does the opposite. The serves are substantial and designed for sharing.
In fact, we had enough left over to take home for another meal next day. And that’s always a happy outcome when dealing with Sichuan food, whose flavours deepen beautifully overnight. And while the chef might not officially endorse it, the leftover fragrant green chilli soup became even more delicious after we added diced salmon!
Dinner for two came to around $198 without alcohol, which felt fair given the quality of the ingredients, the generosity of the serves and the overall experience. Grandfathers sits firmly in Sydney’s premium casual dining category, but unlike many new openings, it delivers genuine substance and a true food adventure.
Grandfathers is located in Angel Place, Pitt Street in Sydney CBD. Bookings can be made via their website at grandfathers.com or by phone on (02) 9127 7067.
Sydney has plenty of Chinese restaurants. But Grandfathers is staking a claim to Sichuan and making it its own. It feels like the sort of place that will quickly become an institution, equally suited to a long lunch, a celebratory dinner or a late-night feast fuelled by chilli and cocktails.
Just don’t underestimate the peppercorns.
