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Rockpool – 1989 to 2011

May 16th, 2011. Posted by Dave

Last week we found some amazing photos here in our media archive at Rockpool – including photos from when the restaurant opened waaaay back in 1989. When Rockpool opened it was considered to be cutting edge both in the food Neil was cooking and in the restaurant design – truly ahead of it’s time. The original restaurant was designed by D-4 Designs and included iconic features such as the mirror walls, the neon lights upstairs (very ’80s) and the ‘rose room’ courtyard. In 2002, Neil ordered a re-furb with a more sleek design, again employing Bill McMahon and Michael Scott-Mitchell (formerly of D-4 Design) and in 2009 Rockpool underwent a full-makeover courtesy of Bates Smart (designers of all Bar & Grills, both Spice Temples and The Waiting Room) to become what it is today… These photos brought back a lot of memories for us – let us know in the comments if they do the same for you!

Rockpool panoramic entrance, 2002

Rockpool ramp, 1989                                                

Rockpool ramp, present day

View from the ramp, 1989

View from the ramp, present day

Rockpool upstairs, 1989

Rockpool upstairs, 1989                                  

 

Rockpool upstairs, present day

Rockpool ‘Rose Room’, 1989

Rockpool ‘courtyard’ as it is today…

 

 

We’re going to be ploughing through all the photos in our archive over the next few weeks to try look at how the food at Rockpool has evolved over they years. If there is anything that you would like to see us write about, let us know in the comments below.

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This entry was posted on Monday, May 16th, 2011 at 6:05 am and is filed under Rockpool Sydney. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.

6 Responses to Rockpool – 1989 to 2011

  1. Karina Barry says:
    May 16, 2011 at 6:52 am

    As part of the opening team, these photos bring back lots of memories. When I arrived for my interview the restauarnt was a building site and Neil, John and George were sitting there in board shorts, looking like they had just had a surf. Little did I know that the restaurant would become the instituation that it is today!

    • Dave says:
      May 17, 2011 at 12:15 am

      Hi Karina
      We’ve found a few shots of Neil in his board shorts – though they are unlikely to ever surface on this blog!
      Glad you enjoyed it – must have been an amazing time to be involved with Rockpool. More photos coming!

  2. Stephen Roberts says:
    May 16, 2011 at 2:01 pm

    I think you will find that their name was D4DESIGN. And that neon was not an ’80′s thing but a theatrical device, as Michael Scott-Mitchell also designed sets for STC etc., at the time.

    • Dave says:
      May 17, 2011 at 1:42 am

      Hi Stephen
      You’re absolutely correct, it was D4 Design – bad research/editing on my behalf!
      My comment on the neon was merely an observation – when I started work here at Rockpool in the 90′s the upstairs ‘oyster bar’ was no longer and I never got to see the room in all its glory. I think we can agree that it was a timeless design – I still remember the day I walked into the restaurant for the first time and was blown away by the all the chrome, mirrors, lights… Magnificent.

  3. russel ahmed says:
    August 8, 2011 at 2:23 pm

    Anybody remembers or has any picture from wookpool darling harbour??I used to work there between 1999 and 2000

    • Dave says:
      August 8, 2011 at 3:19 pm

      I’m sure we’ll find some… there’s a hell of a media file here at Rockpool – it’s just a matter of finding enough time to sort through it all!