At Arm’s Length

I took my friend Kellie to a ‘midwinter’s night’ at a restaurant called Arms Length yesterday and we had bulk fun.

We scored a little booth to ourselves for the media event, which was fortunate because catch ups in your late 50s can pretty intense. We have A LOT going on.

Kellie and I have been friends since our paths crossed as Newcastle Herald cadets. She joined after I left but, as my sister became a Newcastle Herald cadet after me, I’d often find myself at popular Newie journo haunts such as San Marco on the Park and The Grand Hotel.

We’ve stayed in touch ever since, weathering the various challenges and opportunities that our personal and career paths have thrown at us.

These days we’re both partial to shopping for linen clothing from Frockk and talking up a storm, so the hours pass very quickly whenever we get together.

Life has been hectic in recent years, so those catch-ups have been few and far between.

But our kids are all adults now and we’re not required for school pick-ups and other intensive mothering, so I decided it was high time Kellie joined me for a plus-one event.

Arms Length bar and restaurant is located in Kellett Street, Potts Point. Kellet Street is a fascinating microcosm hidden behind Darlinghurst Road, filled with a jumble of massage parlours, cool restaurants, bars, residents and offices.

I loved stickybeaking at all its buildings as I searched for my destination.

Arms Length has a new head chef called Dipti Karnard (ex-The Waratah and Three Blue Ducks) and my lovely PR friend Shae was kind enough to invite me along to check out Dipti’s new menu.

The New York-inspired neighbourhood bistro has also unveiled a new menu, featuring dishes like stracciatella with persimmon (nom, nom), grilled octopus with eggplant caponata and milk-braised pork ragu mafaldine pasta.

Owned by sisters and experienced hospitality operators Rebecca O’Shea, Rosie O’Shea, Danielle Sue and her husband, ex-Ormeggio at The Spit chef Jeff Sue, Arms Length has become a dining favourite since it opened in Redfern in 2021.

The family relocated the venue to a terrace house on Kellett St in Potts Point in 2024.

It has a magnificent old tree in the front yard, wrapped in fairy lights, So pretty!

Inside, the 60-seat venue has an open fire and an extensive wine list focussed on boutique Australian producers, as well monthly cocktail specials and a dedicated martini menu that features everything from a yuzu and lychee to an appletini and banana espresso martini, each of which is also available as a mini.

I can confirm the yuzu and lychee martini is delicious. And I am ridiculously happy with the pretty photo I took of it.

Kellie and I had a great time chitter chattering over yummy food, including an excellent Coonamble angus sirloin with brandy and peppercorn sauce, frites and salad, accompanied by a Montepulciano red. Then we caught the train back to Wynyard to make our respective ways home.

Have a wonderful weekend. Wish me luck with the double blah-ness of my Friday: a second ear vacuuming session followed by two filling replacements. Go me.

Song of the day: Hunters & Collections “Throw your arms around me”