Just Open: One Ford Street, Balmain

High vacancy rates, low foot traffic and restrictive parking has dented the confidence in Balmain's Darling Street, but in the backstreets running off the arterial a fightback is about to get under way.

One Ford Street opens its doors tomorrow with former Fix St James and Glebe Point Diner chef Sam Bennett in the kitchen, and a focus away from the Darling Street drag.

Publican Tim Condon, who previously rebirthed locals the Three Weeds and the Riverview Hotel, bought Darling Street's the Monkey Bar earlier this year, promptly returning it to its original name, the Cricketer's Arms, and commissioning architects Humphrey & Edwards to create a restaurant with its own entrance on Ford Street.

The indoor-outdoor space, which includes a private dining room for 12 in the middle of the garden, mixes blonde wood, polished concrete floors, hanging baskets and lots of fresh plantings.

If it sounds a bit like an old-school inner-west Italian backyard, Bennett is trying to do the same in the kitchen. "It's rustic Italian cooking. I've just taken delivery of a pallet of biodynamic flour. We'll be making our own sourdough bread and pasta," says Miller. "I've already started jarring and pickling. Eventually we'll be curing meats."

The chef's opening menu includes his father's smoked trout pate and prawn and sugar snap caramelle (pasta bonbons).

If it isn't sounding Italian enough already, Bennett says award-winning maitre d' Fabio Dore, who left Popolo at Rushcutters Bay this year, has not only put together the Italian wine list, but will manage the floor at One Ford Street.