Bopp and Tone

Bopp and Tone is set amongst the thick of the CBD’s business community, with a busy bus interchange moments away. But enter through its large front doors, and the grand dining room beyond (designed by Luchetti Krelle) instantly takes you to an opulent world – one that feels like it’s from another time.

This polished bar and restaurant by Applejack Hospitality (Rafi, The Butler, The Botanist and SoCal) is named after the founders’ grandfathers (Ben Carroll’s pop Anthony “Tone” Adams and Hamish Watts’s grandpa Keith “Bopp” Evans) and the entire venue has been designed to conjure the nostalgia and optimism of the post-World War II era they lived in.

There are dark timber furnishings, heavy marble surfaces and hues of emerald green and mustard, as well as big windows that make this a great lunchtime dining option. There’s an alfresco terrace with plenty of hanging greenery, as well as an open kitchen so you can see all the action.

The Mediterranean-influenced menu is powered by a charcoal oven and a 900-kilogram wood grill. While vege and seafood dishes do feature, there’s an emphasis on large format proteins including whole market fish, and a variety of steaks including a one-kilogram grass-fed T-bone from Jack’s Creek in NSW. But you might order some oysters, charcuterie sliced to order, or a plate of stuffed zucchini flowers before the main event.

Over at the bar, the cocktail list incorporates plenty of Australian twists. For example, the Tommy’s Margarita features Kensington Pride mangoes, and the Martini is mixed with Four Pillars Olive Leaf Gin, Lillet Blanc and saltbush. There are also more than 100 wines and – we’re huge fans of this – carafes of house white and red.