After more than 60 years of flavour, family and fiery sambols, The Malaya has just opened a new home in Grosvenor Place at George Street, just steps from where it all began in 1963. Led by third-generation siblings Duan and Isabella Wong, this fresh chapter pays homage to the restaurant’s rich Southeast Asian roots while adding a few new flourishes to keep things evolving.

The light-filled, two-level space, formerly occupied by Rosetta, seats 180 indoors with a breezy 60-seat terrace, and features a sleek, warm fit-out by Anouk & Co. Think cork floors, floor-to-ceiling windows, and bold design nods to the restaurant’s modernist history. It’s a setting that honours The Malaya’s legacy while welcoming a new wave of city diners from Circular Quay to Barangaroo.

The menu stays true to its spice-driven soul, with longtime favourites like the pull-apart tender beef rendang, the OG Malaya curry, and sambol prawns still holding court. But the move has brought seafood to the fore, with kam heong mud crab, XO pipis and BBQ lemak prawns now having a permanent place on the menu. Lighter newcomers like the cold beef salad and a zesty Penang gelato (created with Ciccone & Sons) show that the kitchen still knows how to surprise.

Drinks-wise, the Wongs have reworked the wine list with sommelier Eleonora Vaccarini, giving Riesling a starring role alongside a strong cast of local and international producers. Cocktails, under Ed Loveday’s direction, riff on ingredients from the kitchen. Think lemongrass, chilli and Vietnamese mint, blended together to create bright, contemporary signatures like the Assam Boy and Limau Highball.

Still family-run. Still unapologetically bold. But now with a new postcode, a little more polish, and the same dishes generations of Sydneysiders have loved since 1963.

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