Pyrmont's Terminus Hotel took more than 30 years to reopen, yet only six weeks to change its food direction.
Restaurateur and TV chef Colin Fassnidge has been spotted repeatedly at the recently glammed-up pub, fuelling rumours of his involvement.
"Yes, I'm in there with [business partner] Clayton Reis. Our menu will be up in about two weeks," Fassnidge says.
Out will go the Mediterranean menu, replaced by pub classics.
"There'll be beef cheeks, shared plates for two. We'll make our own pies and sausage rolls," he says.
The Terminus, where topless barmaids toiled in the 1970s, served its last drinks in the '80s.
The building was famously empty until David Mathlin and Binu Katari splashed $4.75 million on it in 2016, then another $2 million on a redesign.
"It's not like we've taken over [the kitchen] at some shitty pub. The fitout is great," Fassnidge says.
Indeed, its pressed metal ceilings, glossy tiles and on-trend finishes have delivered glowing reports.
Fassnidge says they just want to match the food with rest of the project: "It's their gig. We're just in there for six months to get it on the right path."
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