Hemmes to open Manly venue

Given the number of current and upcoming food projects on his plate, it’s difficult to know if Justin Hemmes is the man who has Sydney eating or the man who ate Sydney.

Hemmes is branching out everywhere. He’s even pushing out of his comfort zone, opening a restaurant north of the harbour.

In March, Good Food punted Merivale was headed to Manly Wharf.

‘‘It’ll open in November, in the Manly Phoenix site. It’s our first waterfront place,’’ Hemmes confirms.

It doesn’t have a name yet, but Manly diners can expect a ‘‘flexible’’ menu with a few Mexican dishes and ‘‘a Cuban, Argentinian feel’’.

In addition, a Latin-American restaurant under the creative direction of chef Tim Pak Poy is slated to open next year at Ivy in the city. Oxford Street, Paddington is also in for some Merivale action.

‘‘We have a property [near the markets] we’ve had for about 30 years. Its been empty for about three years. We’ll do something there, but not until next year,’’ he says. The food concept for the venue isn’t finalised.

While the Merivale name is linked to nearly every new development, some rumours are off the mark. Hemmes isn’t opening in the Blue Mountains, and Merivale hasn’t bought Surry Hills music magnet The Hopetoun Hotel.

But he did look at a pub on Cleveland Street and is interested in the Opera House. The freshest rumour doing the rounds had Hemmes scouting the taxi garage on Foveaux Street, Surry Hills, a complex that has interested many of Sydney’s heavyweight hospitality operators.

‘‘You’re ahead of me, I’m looking at it tomorrow,’’ Hemmes says.