Sydney’s Porter House Hotel makes its grand debut

Foodies, travellers and history buffs are in for a delicious treat with The Porter House Hotel – a hotly-anticipated hotel and multi-level bar and dining venue in downtown Sydney – welcoming first guests from September 13.

Located on Castlereagh Street, a block away from Hyde Park, the fresh arrival is a spectacular contrast of old and new, blending an ultra-modern 36-storey residential tower and hotel with an historic 146-year-old building.

Both are linked by a connecting walkway.

An artist's impression showing the full scale of the development.

Designed by Angelo Candalepas (lead architect of the upcoming National Gallery of Victoria), Porter House Hotel – MGallery fills the first 10 floors of the modern tower, built alongside and above the old building. It also takes design cues from the heritage-listed façade.

Commissioned in 1876, Porter House first started life as Dixson & Sons tobacco factory and warehouse, before furniture manufacturers WW Campbell & Co and the famous leather merchants George Johnson & Sons later took up residence in 1891.

One of the hotel's gorgeous Superior Rooms.
Steve Woodburn

The hotel boasts 122 spacious rooms and suites, each styled in dusty pink and mushroom grey tones, with brass, leather and gold elements further adding to the opulence.

As a reference to the two buildings, rooms also feature mismatched lamps – one vintage, one modern. 

Classic Rooms feature a warm, inviting colour palette.
Steve Woodburn

In the bathrooms, soft-lit oval mirrors and round basins take centre stage against pink and grey marble tiling, while the suites also feature freestanding bathtubs and Appelles amenities.

Above the hotel are 131 residential apartments. Next door, a multi-level dining destination with three different venues is housed within the restored 1870s heritage-listed building.

Among the dining options are Henry’s Bread and Wine, an all-day venue taking you from coffee and bagels to champagne and blue-eyed trevella rillettes.

Henry's Bread and Wine on the ground floor welcomes diners seven days a week.

There’s also Dixson & Sons on the first floor of the building, where Executive Chef Emrys Jones has created a modern menu that heroes New South Wales produce. 

Rich in warmth and character, the restaurant was named after Porter House’s founding merchant family.

Seating 90, the generously-proportioned restaurant includes two semi-private dining spaces, banquettes and intimate tables for two, as well as a six-metre bar in the middle of the venue.

Dixson & Sons includes two semi-private dining spaces, banquettes and intimate tables for two.
Steve Woodburn

“The elements of a brasserie we’ve embraced are a reasonably short menu, an unpretentious approach and French technique,” explains chef Emrys, who describes dishes as imaginative yet still approachable and with a sustainable approach to produce.

“We’ve spent the last few weeks beginning to build these sustainable practices but once we open the doors and begin to generate waste, we’ll be able to evolve and expand how we integrate waste elements back into the menu.”

Glenburnie Pastured Beef Wellington for 2 with Paris mash and eggplant miso puree.
Steve Woodburn

On the top level is Spice Trader, a cocktail bar which aims to take diners to all corners of the world, one sip at a time.

Opening in Spring 2022, the rooftop venue will feature a 16-metre sage marble bar and abundant natural light, with glass panels lining over half the roof.

Henry's Bread and Wine goes from pastries by day to cocktails by night.
Steve Woodburn

Hotel guests also have access to a fitness centre and 12.5sqm heated pool on level one.

The opening of Porter House Hotel – MGallery is a reminder of Sydney’s phenomenal luxury hotel growth in recent years, which has seen arrivals such as Kimpton Margot Sydney and Crown Sydney, with more including Waldorf Astoria Sydney yet to come.