NEL Turns 10: The Independent Restaurant That Keeps Pushing Boundaries

/ 5 February 2025
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NEL Turns 10: The Independent Restaurant That Keeps Pushing Boundaries

/ 5 February 2025

Sydney’s dining scene has changed a lot over the last decade, but one thing has remained constant: NEL Restaurant continues to push the boundaries of independent fine dining.

On February 13th, the Surry Hills institution led by Chef Nelly Robinson will officially celebrate its 10th birthday—a milestone worth raising a glass to in an industry where longevity is no small feat.

Opening its doors in 2015 with a modest $200,000 budget, NEL has proven that passion, resilience, and creativity are the key ingredients to success. The restaurant’s ability to constantly evolve while staying true to its vision has cemented its status as one of Sydney’s most loved culinary destinations.

Pictured: Yule Borscht from the Story of Christmas menu in 2024

To celebrate this epic milestone, NEL is throwing a special birthday feast on February 18 and 19, featuring a decade-spanning menu of signature dishes. Expect to see the beloved Crab Risotto (2024), the well praised Duck Donut (2021), and the unforgettable Tin Can Bread (2018) making a triumphant return. It’s a nod to the past, but according to Chef Nelly, the best is yet to come. “I am so excited about the future,” he says. “The team and I feel we are just getting started.”

For those who’ve yet to experience NEL, now is the perfect time to dive into one of Sydney’s most exciting dining journeys. Known for its ever-changing tasting menus that celebrate sustainability and locally sourced ingredients, NEL continues to prove that independent restaurants are not just surviving—they’re thriving.

To book this limited time menu & for more information find here.

To mark NEL’s 10th anniversary, we caught up with Chef Nelly Robinson to reflect on a decade of innovation, challenges, and the evolving art of storytelling through food. From his most memorable dishes to the future of NEL, here’s what he had to say.

  • How has your approach to storytelling through food evolved over the last ten years?
“Like anything over time you craft, perfect and create structure. Our plating has become more refined, more us. We have realised who we are and what guests love about their experience with us. It’s not just a meal. It’s a journey. Each dish isn’t just a dish, there is theatre in the plating. There is technique in the food & the flavors. There is a story behind each dish. There is charm and playfulness in the way our team presents it to our guests. We are really working on creating a unique experience for our guests that is different to what you find anywhere else in Sydney.”

 

  • NEL is renowned for its inventive menus. What inspires you to keep pushing culinary boundaries with each menu?
“In short I have a Peter Pan syndrome and get bored! But I love challenging the team to create new and interesting menus and dishes. Our guests love us for it. It’s not set and forget. It’s evolving. It’s championing new techniques from around the world. It keeps things fresh. But it’s always flavour over art and flavours we know our guests will enjoy.”
  • Looking back, which dish from the last ten years stands out as the most iconic or personally meaningful to you?
“Probably Peter Rabbit’s Garden. The Lakes District is close to where I come from in the UK and where Beatrix dreamed up Peter Rabbit. This dish featured on MasterChef as the Challenge and I got to share this special moment with my late friend Jock. An artist has interpreted it for our wall so it lives with the restaurant every day.”
 
  • How do you see the next ten years for NEL? Are there any new concepts or ideas you’re eager to explore?
“Just keep going. Keep pushing. Keep trying new things. Challenging ourselves to always be different. But always having guests at heart. What they want and need from us. But still pushing them through their journey into food and flavours.
We have some exciting things on the horizon that will be unveiled soon – the first has already launched being Winstons, a GastroPub and a new English inspired pub menu at The Nags Head.”
 
  • Sustainability has become a major focus in hospitality—how has NEL adapted or embraced this movement over the years?
“Sustainability has always been important to us and as a degustation only restaurant we have minimal food waste. We order ingredients almost daily based on bookings ahead. Barely anything gets wasted.
We also work with and choose suppliers who too are sustainable in the sourcing of ingredients. Furthermore we take advice from them on what is in surplus and readily available and avoid ingredients that are depleted.”
 
  • What’s your secret to staying creatively inspired and consistently delivering unforgettable dining experiences after a decade?

“The world. Travelling. Eating. Different cultures and traditions. Seeing the world through my daughter’s eyes and the imagination she has. I’m inspired through my past, my present and no doubt my future. Through my wifes experiences and my team’s experiences. Through stories I’m told and at a basic level what I watch on TV. It all inspires me. I’m a big kid at heart. Food should be fun. It should be playful. It should be enjoyable. And why go out and eat something you can easily make at home.

When it comes to the experience at NEL we want to keep layering on the experience. To create deeply memorable moments. Elevating things to new places. We’re evolving our menu structure and service at the moment and it’s going down well. But there’s more to come!”