Newtown restaurant Hartsyard dumps signature fried chicken from menu

In a move likely to turn Sydney's fowl-obsessed diners foul, fried chicken pioneer Hartsyard is ripping out its deep fryer and dumping its signature dish.

"It's time for the old girl [Hartsyard] to move on. Fried chicken is near and dear to my heart, but as a chef you grow. I can cook things other than chicken," says Hartsyard's US chef and co-owner Gregory Llewellyn.

The chef estimates he's served hundreds of thousands of serves of fried chicken since opening seven years ago. So why would Sydney's fried chicken pioneer jump ship just as the city is embracing a raft of cheeky chook start-ups such as Belles Hot Chicken and Butter.

"I want to concentrate more on the food that I really like to cook and what, I hope, people will want to eat. I love cooking with vegetables and they will really be on show, alongside seafood and duck," Llewellyn says.

A charcoal grill will replace the deep fryer in a raft of planned changes. Fried chicken lovers have until December 23 to get in for a last hit. When the restaurant reopens in the New Year it'll be with a new interior design to go with its new menu.

And there's a hint of good news to come for fans hoping for a possible rebirth of Hartsyard's fried chicken, with Llewellyn suggesting a spin-off specialist Hartsyard fried chicken outlet "on the cards in the future".

If that doesn't cut it, you can always try to cook it yourself.