20 Nov 2025

Curtains up at Folio as Sydney welcomes a new bar at Roslyn Packer Theatre

Sydney Theatre Company opens the doors of Folio today – the new destination bar at the Roslyn Packer Theatre, inspired by the impressive theatre bars and speakeasies of New York. Folio is more than a “theatre bar”, welcoming the community alongside theatre-goers, with a drinks menu devised by award-winning bar consultant Charlie Ainsbury, serving signature cocktails that sit alongside a considered list of wine and champagne, and a food menu of bar snacks and dishes to share.

Folio joins the recently opened The Wharf Restaurant and Bar – an elevated restaurant and bar at the end of the Sydney Theatre Company's Wharf 4/5 – reinvigorating the surrounding Walsh Bay Arts Precinct.

Folio is a place for cocktails, light bites or a shared meal, and entertainment. Both elegant and lively, the bar complements the theatre outside its doors offering many different ways of using the space at both ends of the night — early evening invites groups of friends in for knock-off drinks or a quick snack before a show, the bar transforms into an intimate drinking space as the theatre curtains rise, with couples tucked away in a romantic corner for a mid-week date, and then re-energises mid and post-show with groups animatedly discussing their night with a nightcap and dessert.

The cocktail menu draws inspiration from classic cocktail serves, imbuing them with a sense of fun and irreverence, adding touches of storytelling to every order. Highlights include a House Bellini — Seasonal fruit sorbet and Prosecco whisked to order at the bar, Flame of Love — Folio's house martini poured at the table to ensure it’s enjoyed ice cold and finished with a flamed orange zest, and The Infinity Old Fashioned
— an idea borrowed from Angus Winchester, who introduced the ‘Infinity Daiquiri’ at the Dark Horse in Bath, UK. Guests can select any whisky as the base of their old fashioned which is mixed with a ‘Mother’ blend of every whisky served behind the bar, ensuring no two Old Fashioned’s are ever to be repeated.

“I wanted to create a menu that speaks to guests and pulls them in. Familiar enough to feel at home, but with intrigue and a few surprises, so there’s always a reason to ask questions and to return again and again. I love bars that gather a community, places that embrace the culture they are a part of, with great drinks to match and set it ofi. Folio is not just a bar you go to when you’re going to the theatre, it is a destination worth a stop on any night out. I love the idea of guests making friends across the tables, or squeezing just one more cocktail in before the bell.” — Charlie Ainsbury, Bar consultant, Folio.

The food menu mirrors the same flexibility of the space with familiar dishes and classics turned new — all shareable and easy to build on. Start light with an L.P.’s cured meat plate with house pickles or a plate of Yamba prawns, roasted with curry mayo, or dig in deeper with a David Blackmore wagyu lasagna with truffle pecorino, the Folio burger with Pino’s smoked bacon, cheese and a fried pickle, or Folio’s take on late night bar food – Poutine, Buttermilk fried chicken and Confit garlic bread with thyme and sage. For dessert, indulge in the Chocolate mousse with whisky miso caramel served tableside ‘from the big bowl’, or stick to the classics with a plate of Australian cheeses.

The interiors, designed by Like Minds Studio draw inspiration from late-night cocktail bars and supper clubs around the world. The design layers plush plum-hued velvet banquettes, custom chrome-edged tables and

warm lighting, creating a space both luxurious and intimate. An ornate walnut and marble bar anchors the room, with seating arranged to provide an amphitheatre-like effect. Like Minds has transformed the humble curtain – synonymous with the theatre – into a central motif, reimagined through deep plum leather drapery that wraps and softens the space.

Led by Rouda Taouk, one of Like Minds’ lead designers, the team wanted the atmosphere to evoke the feeling of sitting inside a Negroni — rich, layered and quietly dramatic, with the colour palette lifted from the classic cocktail — reds, plums and golds that bring warmth and a sense of comfort, inviting guests to sink in. Drinks are enjoyed against a soundtrack of modern jazz with global influence, and a rotating schedule of DJs and live music surprise and delight guests dropping by.

Located in the Walsh Bay Arts Precinct, between The Rocks, Barangaroo and Circular Quay, both Folio and The Wharf Restaurant and Bar are central to both the CBD and surrounding suburbs – just a 6-minute walk from Barangaroo Metro and 14-minute walk from Circular Quay.

Folio is open from 5pm Wednesday to Saturday, and at other times to coincide with Roslyn Packer Theatre performances. Bookings are now open for November 11 and beyond here.

Upcoming performances at Sydney Theatre Company’s Walsh Bay venues include Edward Albee's Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? currently playing at Roslyn Packer Theatre until 14 Dec and over at Wharf 1 Theatre, Congratulations, Get Rich! will play from 21 Nov-14 Dec. Sydney Theatre Company's 2026 season is the first to be programmed by new Artistic Director and Co-CEO Mitchell Butel. Check www.sydneytheatre.com.au for performance times.

– Ends –

Folio
Website: www.foliobar.com.au
Address: Roslyn Packer Theatre – 22 Hickson Rd, Walsh Bay NSW 2000
Instagram: @Folio.Bar

Images here.

About Sydney Theatre Company
Established in 1978, Sydney Theatre Company brings the best of Australian and international theatre to the people of Sydney. From its home on Sydney Harbour's Walsh Bay Arts Precinct, the Company presents an annual curated program of around 700 performances a year at the Wharf Theatres – the Company's headquarters within a repurposed 100-year-old shipping wharf – and the 900-seat Roslyn Packer Theatre, as well as seasons as resident theatre company at Sydney Opera House.
Website: www.sydneytheatre.com.au
Instagram: @sydneytheatreco