Nick & Nora's rooftop bar comes to Parramatta

Sven Almenning is excited by the 26th-floor views of his newest venue, Nick & Nora's, which opens at the end of next week.

"It's the first venue we've done that has natural light or we haven't blacked out the windows," says Almenning, who is behind a string of Sydney venues, including The Roosevelt, Eau de Vie and Mjolner.

Licensed for 330, the new Parramatta venue is also the largest he's undertaken.

There's a giant balcony with views reaching the Sydney Harbour Bridge, and a smaller deck looking towards the Blue Mountains.

"It's a small smoking balcony. I can't be the only one who likes to have a cigar?" he asks.

"I wanted to name it after my business partner, Greg Sanderson, but he wasn't keen," he says.

"So it gets its name from Nick and Nora Charles, the swanky, martini-swilling detectives in The Thin Man novels. We want a bit of glamour, and make people feel like they are at a private party. There's a champagne trolley, and we're bringing back the champagne tower, we'll build them at your table."

And the food? "The idea came late to put this venue up here [in the building] so we're a bit restricted. But there's oysters and caviar, cheeseboards and a small canape menu. You can come here and eat and not have to go out to dinner, but you wouldn't book to come here for dinner," he says.

Almenning argues the best seats in the house might be for two.

"They are little cantilevered love seats that hang outside the building," he says.

Open Mon-Thu 5pm-midnight; Fri 3pm-midnight; Sat-Sun noon-midnight.

Nick & Nora's, Level 26, 45 Macquarie Street, Parramatta, 02 8646 4930, nickandnoras.com.au.