Bar and restaurant ‘everyone in Sydney goes to’ announces closure just 18 months after opening
Sydney’s hospitality scene is farewelling another popular venue, with Bar Julius announcing it will close its doors less than two years after first welcoming customers.
The all-day bar and restaurant, located inside The Eve Hotel at Redfern’s Wunderlich Lane precinct, confirmed on Instagram that it would cease trading at the end of August.
‘Bar Julius will be closing its doors at the end of August. We’d love to see you before last drinks,’ the venue wrote.
Why the popular venue is closing after just 18 months
Bar Julius opened in late 2024 as one of the flagship venues inside the highly anticipated dining precinct, alongside rooftop Mexican restaurant Lottie.
The two venues are operated by hospitality group Liquid & Larder, which is also behind other Sydney favourites including Bistecca, The Gidley, Alfie’s, and The Rover.
Speaking to The Sydney Morning Herald, Liquid & Larder co-founder James Bradey said the decision ultimately came down to financial performance.
‘I’m really proud of what we’re doing, but we haven’t hit the heights financially [at Bar Julius and Lottie] we’d like,’ Bradey said.
Sydney’s hospitality scene is farewelling another popular venue, with Bar Julius announcing it will close its doors less than two years after first welcoming customers
Bradey said the team had reflected on whether the venue’s identity had confused potential customers.
Despite its name, Bar Julius operated as an all-day restaurant and cafe, serving breakfast to hotel guests before transitioning into lunch, dinner, and drinks.
‘We were originally going to call it Baptist, but another venue in the development opened before us. It’s certainly more successful at night… maybe we should have called it Bistro Julius or just Julius,’ Bradey added.
Despite the financial challenges, he said locals had embraced the venue, with some regulars stopping by multiple times a day for coffee, lunch, and evening drinks.
The announcement prompted an outpouring of disappointment from loyal customers, many describing the closure as another blow to Sydney’s dining scene.
‘I’m so sorry to hear this, it’s such a stunning space. Unlike anything else in the neighbourhood,’ one person commented.
‘Shame. You had the best burger in Sydney,’ another said. The venue a spot among the World’s Best 101 Burger Places earlier in 2026.
‘Where am I going to get my mumtinis?’ a regular joked.
The all-day bar and restaurant, located inside The Eve Hotel at Redfern’s Wunderlich Lane precinct, confirmed on Instagram that it would cease trading at the end of August
Another shake-up for Wunderlich Lane
The closure marks another change for Redfern’s rapidly evolving Wunderlich Lane precinct.
When it launched in late 2024, the development quickly established itself as one of Sydney’s most talked-about food destinations, bringing together acclaimed venues including Regina La Pizzeria, Island Radio, Olympus Dining, R by Raita Noda, Bar Julius and rooftop restaurant Lottie.
Earlier this year, Baptist Street Rec. Club closed before reopening as Vitelli’s Upstairs.
Now Bar Julius and Lottie will also disappear from the lineup before the end of August.
However, diners won’t have to wait long to see what replaces them.
The Apollo Group, which operates neighbouring restaurant Olympus Dining, has reached an agreement to take over both spaces within The Eve Hotel and plans to launch two new venues before the end of the year.
While details remain under wraps, early reports suggest the rooftop restaurant will move away from its current Mexican offering.
The closure marks another change for Redfern’s rapidly evolving Wunderlich Lane precinct
Another reminder of the pressures facing hospitality
The closure comes as restaurants and bars across Australia continue to grapple with rising operating costs, softer consumer spending, and changing dining habits as households tighten their budgets.
After years of high inflation, elevated rents, increasing wages and higher food and energy costs, many hospitality operators have spoken openly about how difficult it has become to balance quality with profitability, even for venues that appear busy.
At the same time, many Australians are dining out less frequently as mortgage repayments and everyday living expenses consume a larger share of household budgets.
While Sydney’s appetite for new restaurants remains strong, the industry’s high turnover has become increasingly apparent, with well-known cafes, bars, and restaurants regularly announcing closures despite attracting loyal followings.
For Bar Julius, the farewell has come just 18 months after opening – another reminder that in Australia’s current economic climate, popularity alone isn’t always enough to keep the doors open.
