Huge change coming to Sydney’s nightlife – as simple law change is set to ‘fire up’ the city’s ‘dead zones’
After years of closed restaurants in the city and a struggling club scene, Sydney’s nightlife is set to get a huge boost.
Fans of the popular 90s nightspot Hugo’s Lounge will remember the heady days of Kings Cross, when you could queue for drinks and dance the night away at the Bayswater Road club.
And restaurateur Andrew Becher, behind Potts Point’s Parla and Amorica in Surry Hills, is breathing new life into the old venue with plans to open Pelicano.
The Pelicano brand is a revival by Mr. Becher of the old Double Bay restaurant of the same name, which was popular with celebrities such as Mel Gibson.
A bar and restaurant is coming to the sprawling Hugo’s building, with some seeing it as a sign of the return of the good old days of the city’s vibrant nightlife.
This comes as Maurice Terzini, a Melbourne restaurateur and owner of Otto in Sydney, has also announced a new cabaret bar opening on the same road as Pelicano.
The Hook, a piano bar serving oysters, and Piccolo Bar, where you can enjoy late-night pre-dinner drinks and cheese and crisp toasties, are already brightening up the dull Kings Cross street.
And it’s good news for locals and travellers: many people accuse Sydney of being a ‘boring’ place to live because businesses close too early.
Hugo’s Lounge was a super cool Sydney club known for its laid-back, sophisticated vibe and pizza on its terrace overlooking Bayswater Road. It is now planning a rebirth as Pelicano, a new restaurant and bar from Andrew Becher.
Kings Cross’s ailing nightclub scene was hit hard by lockdown laws introduced in 2014, but new legislation in NSW aims to relax restrictions on drinking in a bid to revive businesses that operate at night.
The Old Hugo’s Lounge on Bayswater Road is being transformed into a luxury restaurant and bar called Pelicano by Andrew Becher
Ultra-cool club Hugo’s was the most high-profile victim of Sydney’s draconian lockout laws, which were introduced to tackle alcohol-related crime.
Instead, they were blamed for destroying the once thriving club scene, leading many to dub NSW a ‘nanny state’.
Current laws in New South Wales that ban people from drinking while standing on the street will also be scrapped after the state’s Premier Chris Minns said the “pointless” alcohol bans were “destroying” Sydney’s hospitality industry.
“Sydney’s nightlife has been held back by bureaucracy for too long,” the Prime Minister said.
‘An economy that gets going at 5pm is essential for global cities like Sydney.’
A simple approval process under the Alcohol and Catering Act means that it is no longer required that guests are allowed to consume alcohol while seated in outdoor areas.
New licensing laws also mean that live music venues can now stay open an extra two hours.