Nic Whalley adds Bistro Mint to portfolio

Nic Whalley, the restaurant manager who collects upmarket restaurants on his CV (Rockpool, Tetsuya's and est.) like David Attenborough picks up visa stamps, is part of the team behind Bistro Mint, which opens at The Mint museum later this week.

As to Macquarie Street's potential as a booming dining precinct? ''You've only got to look at what happened to Bridge Street,'' Whalley says.

Operating out of Sydney's oldest public building, Bistro Mint operator Restaurant Associates will offer a bistro menu with a twist.

''There'll be boudin noir, and a take on beef tartare from the Basque region,'' says Sebastien Lutaud, Restaurant Associates' general manager, cuisine.