It's ciao for Bentley and Chow for Claude's

Twin-toqued Bentley Restaurant & Bar will close its doors in August and the owners of Claude's restaurant in Woollahra will open a new restaurant in Bentley's Surry Hills digs.

Fans of Bentley's never-boring, boundary-pushing food won't remain unfed for long. In April Short Black revealed Bentley was scouting sites in the city to relocate.

The other hot rumour is the Bentley team will reopen in a site near its new Potts Point wine bar-eatery Monopole.

''We have done a deal on a new site but cannot confirm its location as yet,'' Bentley chef and co-owner Brent Savage says. ''We hope to open towards the end of the year. It will be a bigger space and essentially will be a continuation of Bentley.''

But Savage cautions it won't necessarily retain the Bentley badge.

''A deal for Claude's to buy our lease, plant and equipment has been struck, but nothing has yet been signed,'' he says. ''Once signed, we will be closing Bentley in mid-August.''

The Claude's team sounds confident the restaurant swap will proceed. But it won't be another Claude's, or even a Claudette's. A spokeswoman for Claude's owners, Chui Lee Luk and Phillip Haw, confirmed the duo plans to open a Chinese eating house at Bentley, a concept they attempted to get up and running on Riley Street, Surry Hills before hitting problems with the site.

''It's a big departure from Claude's - it's all about an accessible, dynamic space offering up shared dishes, a smart drinks list and a bit of fun,'' the spokeswoman says.

It already has a working title: Chow Bar & Eating House.