Henry Sugar: Refined Dining with a Playful Australian Twist

Tucked into Carlton’s charming Rathdowne Village, Henry Sugar is equal parts neighbourhood favourite and destination dining. With polished food, native flavours, and a relaxed elegance, it’s the kind of place every suburb wishes it had.

Fine-Dining Credentials, Local Soul

Co-owners Michael Baker (ex–El Celler de Can Roca, Hell of the North) and Daniel Mason (Joe Taylor, Cookie, The Toff in Town) bring deep experience to the table—literally. Their menu delivers serious technique with a sense of fun, celebrating Australian ingredients in unexpected ways.

A Menu That Surprises

Start light with appellation oysters and desert lime vinaigrette, or butterflied prawns bathed in lemon myrtle butter. Larger dishes showcase native flavours—barbecued kangaroo skewers with blueberry and mountain pepper, or hapuka with preserved lemon, muntries and Geraldton Wax. Desserts continue the theme: macadamia-miso ice cream with pear and wattleseed, or a stellar crème brûlée that proves classics never go out of style.

Drinks with a Native Twist

The cocktail list leans on Australian botanicals like strawberry gum, wattleseed, and mountain pepper leaf, while the wine list is strictly minimal-intervention, backed by small-batch craft beers.

Effortlessly Cool Vibe

Inside, Henry Sugar is intimate and moody—charcoal concrete bar, clean lines, and a central fireplace for winter. When the sun’s out, the buzzy terrace fills quickly. Add DJs spinning vinyl four nights a week, and you’ve got a venue that’s polished yet laid-back in all the right ways.