Bridgeview Hotel introduces new dining and wine experience

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11 September 2026

The Bridgeview Hotel in Willoughby has officially launched “Bridgey & Barrel,” an exclusive monthly fine dining series designed to pair sophisticated, curated plates with premium wines and the stories of the people who make them. 

Hosted in the hotel’s Dining Room every second Thursday of the month, the $89-per-person experience aims to offer patrons a unique gastronomic journey with every installment, as a rotating lineup of winemakers, ambassadors, and industry experts take the lead.

To kick off the series, the historic pub partnered with the legendary Tyrrell’s Wines for an inaugural evening that set a high benchmark for what is to come.

The night began with starters of Australian crab and pumpkin tart served with dashi gel and shiso leaf, alongside a rich winter black truffle, jamon, and raclette croquette, both perfectly complemented by a pour of NV Sparkling Brut. 

For the entree, guests were served Japanese scallops paired with a fresh pear and hazelnut salad, radicchio, and saffron onions, matched with a 2025 Special Release Fiano. The centerpiece of the evening featured a main of confit duck leg served with fondant potato, celeriac puree, a silverbeet, raisin, and pine nut salad, and a rich thyme jus, paired with a robust 2023 Estate Shiraz. 

To finish up, the kitchen served a local twist on a classic with the “Willoughby mess” a vibrant combination of mango, passionfruit curd, biscuit crumbs, lemon myrtle cream, and vanilla pavlova—paired beautifully with a Late Picked Verdelho.

The next Bridge & Barrel night is scheduled for October 8, featuring local wine merchant First Ridge. Following that, the Audrey Wilkinson winery will host on November 12, with the renowned Clonakilla closing out the year on December 10.

The launch of the new event follows a period of uncertainty for the venue. In February owners Solotel put the Bridgeview on the market, only to be subsequently withdrawn from sale in May. 

The Bridge & Barrel series could be seen as a strategic move by management to breathe new life into the classic pub and broaden its demographic appeal in an increasingly competitive hospitality market.