Blending Asian flavours with traditional Western dishes, Bar Pesta by Xage delivers flavourful fusion dishes, unlike anything you’ve tasted before.
Set on Surry Hills’ bustling Crown Street, Xage Vietnamese has been a local favourite since opening in 2012. In late 2019, the team decided to shut the doors to Xage as we now it, reemerging with a bold new dining concept rarely seen in Sydney. Say hello to Bar Pesta by Xage, the new modern Asian eatery serving up daring fusion dishes and out-of-the-box Asian pasta.
The venue finds its home in the original Xage Vietnamese digs, bringing a new dining concept and experience to Sydneysiders in 2020. Bar Pesta takes its name from the Italian term ‘Pestâ’, which roughly translated to ‘to crush or pound’. In fact, the term is said to be where the word ‘pesto’ is derived, made using a mortar and pestle. This process of crushing and pounding herbs and spices is also commonly used in Asian cooking, making the phrase a natural fit to encompass the concept diners can expect at the venue.
On the menu, you’ll find a varied selection of Asian pasta dishes that push the boundaries of what we’d expect to find in a bowl of carbs. From XO Seafood Penne served with Sliced squid, NZ mussels, tiger prawns, house-made chilli XO sauce ($22) to Miso Carbonara Chicken loaded with chicken, egg cream, caramelised opinion, nori and grated Grana Padano ($20), these flavourful dishes dance the line between Italian cooking and authentic Asian flavours. You’ll also find a selection of more traditional pasta options with a dash of Asian influence, such as the Fungi Napolitana with olives, chilli, mushroom, tomato, enoki and napolitana sauce ($16) as well as their Classic Pesto Gnocchi (featuring bacon, almond and sundried tomato in our house-made pesto, $20).
But for lovers of the original Xage Vietnamese, Bar Pesta will continue to serve some of the venue’s cult classic dishes. You’ll still be able to nab a serve of Slow-Cooked Pork Bell cooked in pepper, dark soy, pickles, golden son-in-law egg ($20) or their signature Fried Chicken ($18), alongside a bunch of stir-fries, salads and Asian starters. Plus, the venue’s BYO-friendly policy hasn’t changed either.
Find Bar Pesta by Xage at 333 Crown Street, Surry Hills. Open daily for dinner from 5pm – 10pm and lunch Thursday to Sunday from 11:30am to 3pm.