Sydney braces for new wave of venues

After all the opening action of recent years, you'd be forgiven for thinking even the city with a seemingly insatiable appetite might take time to pause and digest. Wrong. Sydney is actually entering a phase of unprecedented restaurant-seat growth.

Last week's announcement Sky Phoenix will open a new Zetland restaurant in September raised a few eyebrows. At 600 seats it will need new, hungry diners. It's small change compared with the 50 restaurants, cafes and bars Barangaroo plans.

Or Chippendale, where a new eatery, LP's Quality Meats, started spinning last week.

More than a year ago Short Black tipped British chef Jason Atherton would open at hotelier Loh Lik Peng's Chippendale development, along with a restaurant from former Noma alumni.

With both now confirmed, along with a restaurant fronted by a graduate of the Momofuku Seiobo kitchen, you think that'd do for Chippendale.

Evidently not, with a Japanese-led Asian precinct also headed to the inner-west postcode next year.

Wait, it doesn't end there.

Pei Modern Sydney opens in October, chef Lennox Hastie is a confirmed starter for Surry Hills and Fratelli Paradiso's city spin off is headed to Ash Street.

Sake is opening a branch in booming Double Bay.

Manly is about to get a rash of new venues from Fraser Short, and Melbourne's Chin Chin is close to finding a Sydney site. Hope you're all hungry.