Devon Cafe spin-off for the former Danks Street Diner site

Waterloo's premier dining strip has taken another hit. Danks Street Diner, the venue that slid into the site where Jared Ingersoll's pioneering Danks Street Depot once operated, has closed its doors.

But there's good news on the horizon for the strip, which has also seen Fratelli Fresh depart. Surry Hills' award-winning Devon Cafe will open Devon on Danks mid-November in the former Danks Street Diner site. Devon owner, Derek Puah, confirmed Zach Tan, the pharmacist-turned chef at Guillaume Brahimi's Sydney and Melbourne restaurants, will move across from the original Devon to the new venue.

Tan, known for his 63-degree egg dish, has built a reputation with his innovative dinners at Devon, which includes pig's ear katsu and tamarind chilli popsicles. "We'll do breakfast, lunch and dinner at Waterloo and be daytime only in Surry Hills," Puah says. While he believes Danks Street has lost a little of its cache, Puah is hopeful he can redirect some of the crowd that queue for half an hour on weekends at Devon in Surry Hills. He also says Danks Street hasn't yet properly tapped the crowds attending the Hillsong Church.

"We have a two-year lease, so in some ways it is like a pop-up. If it works, we'll find a permanent site."