A new era for this Darby Street eatery
For almost three years, Urban Deli & Bar has been a beloved spot on Darby Street, offering a European-inspired experience that seamlessly blends casual dining with a refined wine selection.
Now, owners Kasia and Tim are moving into a new chapter with a fresh identity – introducing Urban Restaurant & Wine Bar.
Owners – Tim & Kasia
This transformation reflects the evolution of the venue’s offering – from a daytime deli and coffee spot to a fully-fledged restaurant and wine bar.
While the venue has maintained a strong following, the rebrand aims to introduce Urban to a broader audience beyond its loyal Cooks Hill and Merewether customers.
At its core, the couple remains dedicated to providing a warm and inviting space where guests feel like family.
“It’s all about the guests. We have amazing regulars that come in every week – we’ve built an incredibly loyal following. A lot of our guests have travelled throughout Europe and love coming here for that experience.
“After almost three years, we’re on a first-name basis with a lot of our guests and we usually know what they like and what they’ll order,” Tim said.
The shift in the brand and the offering was a natural progression, aligning the branding with how the venue has evolved.
“When we first opened, the idea was to become a lunchtime spot with quality sandwiches and coffee and then it would morph into a wine bar and restaurant in the evenings. Now, it’s naturally moved into a full restaurant and wine bar experience.
“We still have a very large focus on wine and our menu has expanded. We’ve increased the range of our tapas selection, and we now offer a choice of fresh housemade pasta and have included a lot more main course options. We’re still leaning into European flavours and influences, but we’ve given ourselves a little more room to manoeuvre.”
The pasta selection is a standout with Tim adding unique flavours including a sweet paprika pici, saffron bucatini, and a tomato maccheroni. The mains continue to highlight French influences with dishes like the crispy skin duck breast and the crowd-favourite 300g MS2 sirloin, as well as their iconic charcuterie and cheese boards that now feature house selections for ease of choice.
One thing that remains unchanged is the quality at the forefront of everything Urban does.
“Pretty much everything on our menu is made fresh in-house, which is something that really separates us. There’s a lot of labour involved but we will never compromise on quality. For example, our Polish style dumplings (Pierogi) are made from scratch using homemade dough from Kasia's Grandma's recipe or the lamb ragu which we cook for 6 to 7 hours.
“You can buy this premade, but we will never do that. We only use quality products and utilise in-house from scratch when we can. This really affects the end dish.”
The rebrand isn’t just about the menu; it extends to the aesthetics as well. Having worked with David Owen from Newcastle based Owen’s Signage, Urban’s new look now reflects its elevated dining experience.
“It’s a lot more modern and it’s nice and warm. You see the maroon and you think of red wine,” Kasia said.
To match their refined focus, Urban has also adjusted its operating hours, now trading four days a week, Wednesday and Thursday from 5pm-10pm, and Friday and Saturday from 12pm-11pm, with their special events continuing to run once a month on Sundays.
These special events are a key part of Urban’s identity, offering unique experiences for both loyal patrons and newcomers.
“We will still do our monthly long lunch events. The next one is focused on Sicily which is happening on Sunday, March 23.
“Every month we will have some kind of unique event, whether it’s a partnership with a Hunter Valley winery or a location-based long lunch.” Tim said.
With a wine list that regularly evolves, Tim takes great pride in selecting standout bottles.
“Our wine list is huge for the size of our restaurant, and it changes regularly as I’ll find myself getting excited when I find something amazing and I want to share that with our guests.”
As Urban embarks on this new phase, Tim and Kasia remain dedicated to keeping things personal with their guests.
“One thing we think about when we dine is when we get to see and interact directly with the owner. I think that’s something really important with us here. We’re always here and we’re always working on the floor.”
With a focus on quality, a deep-rooted love for European flavours, and an unwavering commitment to their guests, Urban Restaurant & Wine Bar is ready to welcome both familiar faces and new patrons into its warm and inviting space.
