0°C | Thursday November 13, 2025 
4 September 2025
By James Mullan
A new hospitality venue has opened in Kirribilli with the launch of Bar Twenty61 at 10 Fitzroy Street, in the former Bamfords site. Owner Thomas Westenberg, who has more than a decade of experience across Sydney venues, said he aims to create a community-focused bar with an intimate atmosphere.
Westenberg’s career path began with postgraduate studies in ancient Roman love poetry before he shifted into hospitality through events and bartending. “I was going to go for my PhD and realised that actually I look forward to my event shifts a lot more than just sitting in the office and doing the research,” he said.
Before striking out on his own, Westenberg worked at family-owned CBD venue the Foxhole, was a manager at award-winning gin bar The Barbershop, and spent time at SoCal in Neutral Bay and the now-closed Red Oak brewery. Having previously lived in Kirribilli, he described the bar as a return to a familiar community. “The dream has been to open my own for 10 years now,” he said.
Bar Twenty61’s menu focuses on in-house prepared sharing plates, including cheeseburger sliders, flatbread with dips, and a Ploughman’s Platter featuring cured meats, cheeses, chutney and a cranberry pork pie. More substantial options include burgers, penne arrabiatta, pumpkin gnocchi and a waldorf salad.
The drinks list highlights cocktails such as “The Roadster,” combining cold-pressed blueberry cordial with Archie Rose dry gin and Regal Rogue vermouth, and “The Lemon Chester,” a lemon meringue pie-inspired sour. The signature “Postcode” mix of rum, whiskey and malt syrup is served with malt teasers and a block of ice stamped “2061” in reference to the suburb’s postcode.
Westenberg said the back bar would feature spirits he had personally tried or sourced through local connections, with stock rotating based on customer interest. “Everything on the shelf, I want to be able to tell you, ‘oh, that’s the story behind this,’” he said.
He added that the small-scale venue was designed to encourage repeat visits and familiarity. “You build relationships with people, they keep on coming back. It’s small enough that with one or two people you can pay attention to everyone in the whole venue.”
Bar Twenty61 has only been open a short time but Westenberg said he was looking forward to developing a strong connection with the Kirribilli community.