At 66, Neil Perry thought he’d be retired. Instead, he’s transforming Double Bay

Neil Perry bends down to pick up a used straw from the side of the pavement. It’s the fourth or fifth time this morning that a stray piece of detritus has caught the chef’s attention, and it won’t be the last. His eyes are a radar for imperfections; little things that just shouldn’t be there, things you and I might not notice, or simply choose to ignore. But for Perry, a spotless footpath is essential. This is his corner, after all. Hell, it’s pretty much his suburb.

’s chief restaurant critic Terry Durack believes so. “We saw it happening in Bondi in the 1990s when Sean Moran opened Sean’s Panaroma, and then Maurice Terzini opened Icebergs Dining Room in 2002, and put Bondi Beach on an international dining destination map.” Fratelli Paradiso had Potts Point to itself for 10 years – now it’s joined by a throng of top eateries.

Perry’s world has shrunk considerably. The old Neil was spread thin, with a lot of time spent ricocheting around the country, tending to Melbourne’s Spice Temple or Perth’s Rockpool, or servicing his long-standing role as Qantas’ food and beverage director. Or starting projects he never found the time to finish. The new Neil is more grounded – literally. “I’m in Sydney a lot,” he says. “It’s nice being at home.”Specifically, he’s in the eastern suburbs a lot.

It being a family business, it’s also family money. The house is on the line again. Two-thirds of the $12 million is coming from Perry, in a roughly 50-50 split between a bank loan and funding from Margaret. The final third comes from landlord Pallas Group and its development arm, Fortis. Perry scoffs at that suggestion, noting restaurants are always a fickle business, and regularly come and go. They keep opening in Sydney, with Michael Clift’s team preparing to add Neptune’s Grotto to its portfolio in May, Justin Hemmes planning Good Luck Restaurant Lounge in the CBD, and Alejandro Saravia due to open Morena in the Martin Place GPO building.

“I don’t know whether it’s ego or just the desire for the right detail and functionality. The kitchens have to be amazing, I really want people to love working in them, so we try to think of everything that we possibly can, and it’s working so far. Fingers crossed. Who knows, though? Every time you roll the dice, you never know where it’s going to land.”loves Double Bay, it loves him back. Mostly.

Barbara Mortimer, also a Double Bay Residents’ Association member, enjoys Margaret – as do her children, who are in their 40s. “Neil Perry has been a godsend for Double Bay,” she enthuses. Yet even she has reservations about what’s happening in the Margaret precinct. “Those parklets are actually stealing pedestrian space. But look, the local people love it.” Nor is Mortimer a fan of the smell of fish cooking, which apparently wafts through nearby homes depending on the wind and “really pongs”.

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