Eastern suburbs institution expands to Buena Vista

Just as the Mosman spin-off of Bistro Moncur is set to serve its first French onion souffle gratin, a deal looks close to export the Woollahra eatery interstate. Late last year Public House Management Group [PHMG] snapped up the Woollahra hotel – and Bistro Moncur with it – for a reported $30 million.

PHMG founder Mitchell Waugh says the Moncur asset was one of the big attractions, its opening on October 21 at the Buena Vista Hotel, in Mosman, part of a bold strategy to expand the Moncur brand. Waugh signed chef Guillaume Brahimi to consult, but got off to a rocky start when the Woollahra bistro lost its hat at the Good Food Guide awards.

"We'd just taken over, we were between head chefs and Guillaume hadn't had a chance to [get involved]. It could've been worse," he says of the review.

The new Buena Vista site is different from Woollahra, but the menu has crossed the harbour and the Mosman pub's $8 million redesign nods to the original Moncur with a fresh take on its signature mural. "We are looking at taking it interstate, we're speaking with hotel chains about a potential joint-venture," Waugh adds.