When you spend a combined two decades working in some of the world’s leading restaurants and bars, you learn a few things about what makes a venue tick. For best mates Lloyd Hendriksen and Vince Gibbs, it was their worldwide wanderings that eventually led them back to the Aussie coast they call home, though not to their Manly roots. Instead, they found themselves drawn to Wollongong’s relaxed pace and potential to create something special in the local dining scene.
These were the beginnings of Roy’s Restobar – a hospitality collaboration between close friends, combining their experience to make high quality, sustainably sourced food and drinks accessible to all. It’s an ambitious vision; one that owner-operators Vince and Lloyd have spent the past year bringing to life.
Roy’s Restobar borrows influence from European-style snacks and late-night dining culture, while highlighting the abundance of great produce the South Coast and Australia has to offer. And while Wollongong may not be short on quality venues, the Roy’s difference is about creating an inclusive and welcoming community-focused experience – including serving food late into the night.
“A big part of our business model is to do our whole food menu all the way until midnight every day we’re open,” says Vince. “It was always our plan to be able to accommodate the hospitality crowd after the standard dinner service, and it’s great to see the chefs from around town coming to eat at 11pm after they’ve closed their own kitchens.”
As a champion of Wollongong’s late night dining scene, Roy’s ensures there’s more to a night out than kebabs, although Vince admits, “We are partial to a FatBoy kebab after closing ourselves!”.
But having choices – and the ability to choose your own adventure – is at the heart of the Roy’s offering, and extends to not only the menus, but also the style of experience.
“The way the menu is set up, there’s a good mix of smaller, snack style items to compliment a beer, a cheeseboard for the wine drinkers but also larger share proteins like a grilled market fish and roast lamb. It’s a way for us to cater to the after-work drinkers, provide a full meal for the dinner crowd, then transition into the late-night bar snackers.”
The food menu itself is built around a core of favourites like steak tartare and daily crudo, with ever-changing variations that showcase the best seasonal produce, sourced directly from local suppliers. With Lloyd at the helm of the large Japanese hibachi charcoal grill, the focus is on simplicity, fun and letting the flavours shine.
Lloyd and Vince also put a strong emphasis on making as much as possible in-house, continuing their mission to cut out the middleman and ensure quality and sustainability at every step. On any given week, you may find them busy in the kitchen creating “everything from bread and butter, curing and ferments, cheese, through to our own desserts and ice cream”.
The drinks menu matches the food in both quality and approach, with a wine list showcasing natural and low-intervention Australian producers, while remaining approachable even to conventional wine drinkers. On the taps, local beers from Fairy Meadow’s Principle Brewing top the bill, while the cocktail menu ranges from fruity to stiff and sweet to sour, often incorporating locally foraged botanicals.
The hospitality community around the ‘Gong is one of the best and most welcoming we've experienced around the world.
“We make different house-made bitters like coriander seed, vinegars like marigold, lavender or cherry blossom and use natives like lemon myrtle, native mint and native thyme,” Vince explains. There’s something for everyone to discover – and the first two hours of service every weekday is dedicated to exactly that, with “Wollongong’s best happy hour” providing plenty of opportunity to sample new drops amongst new friends.
In fact, Roy’s has always been a collaborative effort between friends, extending even beyond Vince and Lloyd’s lifelong mateship. The themes of simplicity, sustainability, quality and community continue through the venue itself, with timber work from talented woodwork artist Samuel Creecy (@samuel.creecy), interior design by Solander House (@solanderhouse) and branding and logo by Sonja Pulvermacher.
The grapefruit lightning is a new cocktail pairing gin and grapefruit amaro with grapefruit juice, lemon myrtle and citrus for a balance between fruity & boozy.
As they enter their second year on Keira Street, Vince and Lloyd look forward to creating more experiences that highlight community over competition.
“Wollongong is such an underrated destination, and the more good venues that open, the better it is for all of Wollongong’s economy,” says Vince. This is the philosophy behind the popular “Food with Friends” events, where guest chefs are invited to collaborate and produce a unique menu. “We love partnering with suppliers that share our values, so we’re trying to do hospo nights, Food with Friends and other functions every few weeks.”
With Lloyd in the kitchen perfecting the seasonal summer menu, and Vince behind the bar mixing up something special, Roy’s offers an open invitation to enjoy great food and drinks in great company. As the warm nights descend, pull up a chair at the large open window, grab a beverage and a bite and see where the evening takes you. And if you happen to wander in close to midnight, you might catch a few of Wollongong’s top chefs doing the same.
Visit Roy’s Restobar at 4/166 Keira Street, Wollongong, Wednesday to Saturday until midnight.
Find out more at roysrestobar.com.au and follow @roys_restobar on Instagram for the latest updates and events.
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