Paddington's Bellevue Hotel launches revamped menu

Colin Fassnidge's​ pig's ear schnitzel at the Four in Hand has a new competitor from today, the caramelised pig's head at Paddington's newly reopened Bellevue Hotel.

Former Becasse head chef James Metcalfe brings all of his experience to The Bellevue, which has one of the cleverest opening menus Good Food has seen this year.

With the tired Bellevue interiors given a major design overhaul from Humphrey & Edwards, the timing is excellent as the Paddington and Woollahra pub scene undergoes one of its busiest revolutions since the first pub bistro in the area polished its floorboards over 30 years ago.

Several hotels have changed hands in recent weeks. The Bayside family splashed out $9 million on The Light Brigade Hotel, while the Public House Group snapped up the iconic Royal Hotel at Fiveways for $15 million.

The Bellevue, previously owned by a group, which included John Singleton, was bought by the WDS Hotel Group and Metcalfe recruited to run its kitchen.

The new look features an oyster bar and a caviar selection that fetches up to $370 for 50 grams of its top-shelf product.

The main menu (one course $35/two $55/three $70) includes a blue eye and clam dish with bacon puree and tomato beurre blanc that its creator says has "BLT notes".

And the pig's head? Metcalfe "takes the face off the skull" before giving it the confit treatment and rolling and frying it. "We've done a few [trial] dinners and it has been our biggest seller," he tells Good Food.