“ONE CANNOT THINK WELL, love well, sleep well, if one has not dined well.” So goes the oft-repeated-by-foodies quote from English novelist Virginia Woolf, and it’s as relevant today as it was when first written in 1929. Except, we’d add that one also cannot work well to Woolf’s dictum. But there are sad desk salads, and then there are the kinds of places you’d happily take your top client for a lunch meeting. Should you work in Sydney’s CBD, Bopp & Tone – which sits right round the corner from Wynyard station on Carrington Street – is one of the latter.

Blending the essence of yesteryear with the sophistication of modern Australian dining, Bopp & Tone is a member of Applejack Hospitality’s extensive portfolio. The restaurant pays homage to the founders’ grandfathers – Keith ‘Bopp’ Evans and Anthony ‘Tone’ Adams – through its name, and it was designed to evoke the nostalgia of the world in which they lived, a postwar landscape brimming with optimism.

Bopp & Tone

When we say that Bopp & Tone is in the heart of the CBD, we mean it. On top of being around the corner from Wynyard, the restaurant is wedged between the thoroughfares of York and Pitt Street. Mere metres from Bopp & Tone’s front door is a busy bus terminal. Although, it all fades away from the moment you step inside and are treated to a visual feast before you’ve even ordered your meal.

Bopp & Tone’s interior is an ode to the opulence of mid-century grandeur, and in the 21st century, it comes off as understated luxury. There are timber furnishings in vintage tones, plush textures, marble surfaces and a healthy helping of brass, but without even an ounce of pretension. The wrap-around terrace extends the experience outdoors, while an open kitchen puts the action front and centre. And yes, it’s dog-friendly – perfect for a casual pint with your four-legged friend.

Alright, the furnishings are top notch, but none of that matters if Bopp & Tone can’t deliver on the most important quality of any restaurant: food. Thankfully, this is another criterion Bopp & Tone nails, with a culinary philosophy centring on simplicity, modernity, and of course, quality.

The Australian menu, crafted under the watchful eyes of Group Executive Chef Patrick Friesen and Head Chef Jordan Wijeadasa, is both generous and grounded in a love for honest, uncomplicated flavours. The dishes, heavily influenced by Mediterranean cuisine, are designed to be shared and are predominantly cooked on the in-house wood grill or charcoal oven.

The highlights include Australian king prawns with fermented chilli, grilled scallops and a bone-in rib eye, all of which encapsulate the ethos of the menu: a blend of textures and flavours that are meant to be savoured slowly, preferably with company, and preferably with a glass of wine or a cold beer in hand.

Speaking of beverages, Bopp & Tone’s cocktail and wine lists have been curated with equal care. The cocktails, while rooted in classic recipes, are elevated by a distinctly Australian touch and some Mediterranean flair. For the wine connoisseur, sommelier Amandine Rouviere has assembled a collection that champions sustainable viticulture, featuring bottles from Australian and international producers who are at the forefront of organic and eco-conscious winemaking. Naturally, there’s also a wide range of local and international beers on tap.

All in all, Bopp & Tone is as much of a place to linger as it is to eat, with an exceptional design conducive to convivial eating and a menu to match. As Virginia Woolf so aptly put it, dining well is the key to living well, and at Bopp & Tone, that sentiment rings true in every dish, every drink, and every aspect of the establishment.

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