British Chef Rick Stein to open a flagship restaurant in Coogee

• Celebrity Chef Rick Stein has announced he will be opening an Australian flagship restaurant in Coogee.
• The 224-seat restaurant will be in the upcoming InterContinental Hotel, which is replacing the Coogee Beach Crowne Plaza.
• The restaurant will focus on freshly-caught Australian seafood.

British Celebrity Chef Rick Stein has announced plans to open his flagship Australian restaurant at Sydney’s Coogee Beach, bringing his signature Cornish-style fish and chips and classic fish pie to one of Australia’s favourite beachside spots.

Stein is known for his unpretentious but impeccable preparation of seafood. There’s no doubt the restaurant will attract a steady wave of customers in Coogee, and not just because of the suburb’s high population of Brits.

Together with his Aussie publicist wife, Sarah Stein, they’ll unveil Rick Stein at Coogee Beach. The Chef already has two popular restaurants in Australia, with one in Mollymook, which opened in 2009, and another in Port Stephens, which followed in 2018.

Both of these venues are at Bannister Hotels, which was recently acquired by Salter Brothers. Salter Brothers are partners of InterContinental Hotels, which are transforming and rebranding three Crowne Plaza Hotels into IHGs. The brand new Coogee Beach IHG will be the home of Stein’s new venture.

Paul Salter, Managing Director of Salter Brothers commented, “We are very excited to be bringing Rick Stein to Coogee Beach and build on our existing partnership.  I can’t think of a better location in Sydney to showcase his distinctive, yet approachable, fresh seafood experience”.

What will the restaurant look like?

The new 224-seat restaurant will occupy a beachfront location, with the new IHG guaranteed to have incredible views of Coogee Beach. The venue will feature a signature restaurant, as well as bar dining and a courtyard terrace.

Rick Stein at Coogee Beach will focus on Rick’s lifelong love of all things seafood, as well as his take on homely, British classics.

There will be an emphasis on regional and local produce, including Mahi Mahi caught off the coast of Nelson Bay, Stockton Pipis from Port Stephens, line-caught Mackerel from Ulladulla and Nelson Bay Blue Swimmer Crab (which will be procured for Stein’s signature Singapore Chilli Crab).

If that sounds too fancy for you, the restaurant will also serve Stein’s famous fish and chips, traditional British-style with mushy peas and hand-cut chips.

The Stein’s connection to Sydney

Coogee Beach is a particularly perfect location for the Chef’s new restaurant, as his wife Sarah grew up in Sydney.

“Coogee Beach is yet another stunning coastal location for our Australian restaurant portfolio - perched by the sea and full of the laid-back charm we’ve come to love so much here. It’s especially meaningful for me as my wife Sas grew up in Sydney, so opening a restaurant in her hometown makes this venture all the more special for us both.”  said Stein.

“There’s an abundance of top-quality seafood in Australia , and we’ll be championing local, seasonal produce with the benefit of accessing the biggest fish market in the southern hemisphere. We’ll continue to utilise the relationships we’ve built in our regional locations to source that same produce in Sydney. It’s the best of both worlds.”

Although the weather in their usual stomping ground of Cornwall may not rival that of Coogee Beach, Stein’s mantra “fresh seafood, simply prepared” will be right at home in Sydney’s vibrant food scene.

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