Chris Barge and brothers quit Regatta restaurant at Rose Bay

Yikes, that was quick even by Sydney standards. The Barge brothers' involvement at Regatta is over, less than two weeks after the restaurant opened at the Pier restaurant site in Rose Bay.

Tensions were rumoured to be rising between the Barge boys, owners of various venues around Sydney including L.L. Wine & Dine, and the restaurant's (until now) silent backers, brothers Leigh, Brendan and Mark McPherson, who bankrolled the investment, along with another heavyweight businessmen, James MacKenzie. Chris Barge confirmed he and his brothers had departed Regatta, both sides citing "creative differences".

"We are selling them our shares," Chris Barge adds.

"They didn't exercise an option to take up to 45 per cent in the company that operates Regatta," Leigh McPherson says. With promising early reviews for the food, diners will be pleased to know chef Claudio Morales (ex Uccello) is staying on.