Nomad set to finally move home in October, with expansion plans in the wings

With Nomad finally slated to reopen at its original Foster Street location on October 20, the restaurant and its nomadic owners have been the subject of chatter from Surry Hills to Melbourne.

Nomad owner Al Yazbek and his architect wife Rebecca temporarily relocated to Melbourne, coming close to securing a number of sites before finally nabbing chef Teague Ezard's old digs on Flinders Lane. Yazbek confirmed Nomad Melbourne will open there next year.

Back in Sydney they are now linked to a new restaurant concept. When fire damaged its Foster Street property last year, Nomad relocated during building work to the former site of Longrain on Commonwealth Street.

The talk on that eat street is Al Yazbek is plotting a potential new restaurant concept for the old Longrain site and has spoken with a prominent interstate chef.

The restaurateur confirmed it is a new concept, but the project has stalled. "There needs to be a bit more flexibility on rent for it to proceed," he says.

Yazbek already has plenty on his plate, explaining Rebecca's redesign has moved the look and feel of the Foster street site "from rough warehouse to luxe".

"In the words of Spinal Tap, we're turning it up to 11. COVID has made us rethink a lot of things, so there are sensor and push doors now. Jacqui [chef Jacqui Challinor] has evolved, as has her food, and there is a new charcoal grill twice the size of the old one."

The fit-out will also include Nomad Deli, with a range of take-away house-cured meats, dips and marinated preserves.