King Clarence

King Clarence is the Bentley Restaurant Group's first foray into Asian-inspired cooking—featuring a lengthy menu lined with dishes inspired by Chinese, Korean, and Japanese cuisines. 

 “Nick and I love eating Asian food and are looking forward to applying the Bentley Group ideas and philosophies to this style of food," says co-owner and chef Brent Savage.

On the corner of King and Clarence Streets in the Sydney CBD, the 100-seat spot features a custom-built BBQ and grill, a large live seafood tank, and pop-bright but pared-back interiors by the legendary Pascale Gomes-McNabb.

Leading the kitchen is head chef Khanh Nguyen (ex-Aru Melbourne and Mr Wong). Begin with fish finger bao topped with American cheese or salt and vinegar charcoal grilled edamame. From the raw bar, there are oysters with charcoal mignonette and a steak tartare served with fermented chilli, peanut, smoked oyster, and sesame.

Another must is the wood-roasted pork belly ssam with oyster cream emulsion and house-made kimchi. There are also dumplings, grilled skewers, a King Clarence take on miso eggplant, and spanner crab fried rice. From the live seafood tank, it's Goolwa pippies and grilled lobster. 

For dessert, there's a peanut butter and whisky cheesecake, a Davidson Plum granita, and a coffee parfait with salted Koji waffle. 

As with all Bentley Restaurant Group venues, you can expect an extensive wine list, this time designed to be paired with Asian-style dishes. Headed up by award-winning sommelier Polly Mackeral, the list goes deep on Rieslings and Grenache, with over 100 bottles from all around the world and 40 available by the glass. 

King Clarence has two banquet menus on offer starting at $95 per person, as well as a private dining room, which makes it perfect for group lunches and dinners. 

King Clarence is the sixth Sydney restaurant from Hildebrandt and Nick Savage, and their second new venue to open in 2023, following Brasserie 1930 at the Capella Sydney Hotel. The Bentley Group stable also includes Monopole, Cirrus, Yellow, and, of course, Bentley Restaurant + Bar. 

For more great restaurants in the Sydney CBD, check here. 

Image credit: Bentley Restaurant Group