After years of citywide restaurant closures and a club scene in crisis, Sydney’s nightlife is about to get a major boost.
Fans of 90s hotspot Hugo’s Lounge will remember the heady Kings Cross days of queuing for drinks and dancing into the early hours at the Bayswater Road club.
And restaurateur Andrew Becher, behind Parla and Amorica in Potts Point, Surry Hills, is breathing new life into the former venue with plans to open Pelicano.
The Pelicano brand is a revamp by Mr Becher of the former Double Bay restaurant of the same name that was popular with celebrities such as Mel Gibson.
It will feature a bar and restaurant in the expansive Hugo’s space and is seen by some as a sign that the good old days of the city’s vibrant nightlife are about to return.
This comes as fellow countryman and restaurateur Maurice Terzini, of Sydney restaurant Otto, also announced he will open a new cabaret bar on the same street as Pelicano.
The Hook, a piano bar serving oysters, and Piccolo Bar, for late-night snacks and cheese toasties with chips, are already livening up the dull Kings Cross area.
And it’s good news for locals and travellers alike, as many people accuse Sydney of being a “boring” place to live because businesses close too early.
Hugo’s Lounge was an ultra-cool Sydney club known for its laid-back, sophisticated vibe and rooftop pizza overlooking Bayswater Road, and it’s about to be reborn as Pelicano, a new restaurant and bar from Andrew Becher.
Kings Cross’ nightclub scene was hit hard by lockdown laws introduced in 2014, but new NSW legislation aims to ease restrictions on alcohol consumption in a bid to encourage businesses operating at night.
Andrew Becher is transforming the Old Hugo’s Lounge on Bayswater Road into an exclusive restaurant and bar called Pelicano
Ultra-cool club Hugo’s was the most high-profile victim of Sydney’s draconian lockout laws, which were introduced to combat alcohol-related crime.
Instead, they were blamed for killing off the once-thriving clubbing scene and leading many to label New South Wales a “nanny state”.
Current New South Wales laws banning people from standing while drinking on the street will also be scrapped after the state’s Premier Chris Minns said “pointless” alcohol bans were “destroying” Sydney venues.
“Sydney’s nightlife has been strangled by bureaucracy for too long,” the Prime Minister said.
“Having an economy that kicks into gear at 5pm on weekdays is critical for global cities like Sydney.”
A simple approval process under the Liquor Act will no longer stipulate that customers must be seated to consume alcohol in outdoor areas.
The new licensing laws will also mean that live music venues will now be able to operate for an additional two hours.
