Rosenbaum & Fuller, a new venue headed up by award-winning bartender Lee Potter Cavanagh, has opened in Bondi.
The “all day and night house of local spirit, real wine, fair coffee, and honest food” focuses on Australian produce and sustainability and is located only a short stroll from Bondi’s famous sands.
The name for the venue comes from owner/operator Potter Cavanagh’s grandmas, who both migrated to Australia in the 19th century. Built by Potter Cavanagh, his family and close friends, the venue features a bold purple exterior and a clean, bright aesthetic.
Working alongside Potter Cavanagh at Rosenbaum & Fuller are bartender Toby Marshall (formerly Palmer & Co, Charlie Parker’s) and chef Rob Rietveld (Clareville Kiosk, Aberdeen Street Social Hong Kong, Pollen Street Social London).
Wanting to focus on what it is to be Australian, Potter Cavanagh found he had a hard time identifying with food and drink stereotypes of Australia tied to English history, or Modern-Australian cuisine tied to French cooking.
Over a couple of wines with friends he found this a common perception amongst Aussies, and has zeroed in on his and his team’s idea of Australia: food focused on our great produce that reflects the diverse mix of cultures within this country.
This has led to a mostly plant-based food menu, focused on locality, sustainability and seasonality. The wine list reflects wines “that are focused on the vineyard, not the winemaker’s shed”, and cocktails follow a similar vein to the food, focused on produce and incorporating native ingredients where possible. Spirits are mostly Australian, and the beers are all brewed in Sydney.
