Santa Monica at Pier One is coming to Sydney Harbour this spring, offering Sydney siders a taste of laid-back Santa Monica living without leaving home.
Set to launch 22 September 2019, Santa Monica at Pier One Sydney Harbour will bring the beach city to life along the waterfront with a curated menu of SoCal-style food and beverages and live cooking demonstrations from award-winning Santa Monica chefs, free wellness and fitness experiences, an organic mini- farmers market and live music sunset sessions.
Three renowned Santa Monica chefs will travel to Australia for culinary collaborations with The Gantry Head Chef Thom Gorringe: Chef Josiah Citrin, two-star Michelin Chef and owner of California’s highly-acclaimed Mélisse, Charcoal Venice, Openaire and Dave’s Doghouse restaurants; Chef Raphael Lunetta, ‘Top Chef’ judge, California Chef of the Year, Owner and Chef Proprietor at Santa Monica’s Lunetta and Lunetta All Day; and Chef Govind Armstrong of ‘Top Chef’ and ‘Iron Chef’ fame, Executive Chef of Santa Monica icon The Lobster, and the chef behind 8oz Burger Bar and Post and Beam.
Santa Monica a Pier One will run for six weeks from Sunday 22 September to Thursday 31 October. A full list of events on offer during the activation is below.
Santa Monica at Pier One Events
Wellness Wednesdays
Each Wednesday morning during the activation, free waterfront Yoga and Pilates sessions will be offered on the pier, where attendees can enjoy a moment of mindfulness before beginning their day. With the fresh harbour breeze fuelling each pose and adding to the zen, those who wish to soak up some Santa Monica soul are encouraged to book online to secure their free tickets.
Friday Twilight on the Pier
Each Autumn, the iconic Twilight on the Pier events held at the Santa Monica Pier bring together the love of live music, good food, great drinks and fun times with friends while enjoying the spectacular sunsets over the ocean. Twilight in Santa Monica features a diverse line up of live music from around the world, including Australian bands. In a special Sydney-style tribute to the Santa Monica events, Twilight on the Pier will be open for sundowner specials every Friday of the activation from 4pm, offering SoCal cocktails, Santa Monica inspired cuisine and live music to ease the crowd into a weekend vibe.
Saturday ROGA
ROGA (run + yoga) is a fitness favourite and tradition enjoyed by Santa Monica locals. Each Saturday during October, Sydneysiders can take up the ROGA challenge as part of Santa Monica at Pier One. In partnership with lululemon, the ROGA will start with a 2.5km jog or run from Luna Park to Santa Monica at Pier One. On arrival participants will have their peace of mind restored by some of lululemon’s top yoga instructors as they soak up the stunning harbour views. Again, this is a free event, so those who wish to participate in the challenge are encouraged to secure their spot in advance by booking online.
Sunday Farmers Markets
Three bespoke certified organic mini-farmers markets will come to the pier during the activation. At each of these events, one of Santa Monica’s acclaimed Chefs will offer a free cooking demonstration, sharing a personal recipe for guests to make their own Southern Californian inspired meal at home. Featuring field-fresh produce, cut flowers, local artisan breads, delicious foods and relaxed live music, the three Farmers Markets will take place on Sunday 29 September, 6 and 13 October, from 10am – 2pm.
Santa Monica X Gantry Chefs Tables
For two nights only, Friday 27 and Saturday 28 September, Santa Monica based Chefs Josiah Citrin of Mélisse and Raphael Lunetta of Lunetta will collaborate with The Gantry’s Head Chef Thom Gorringe to showcase the best of local NSW seasonal produce in a bespoke menu. Chef Govind Armstrong of The Lobster will also partner with Chef Gorringe for seafood themed BBQ on the pier, with guests dining al fresco in the Gantry Garden and Marquee. This will be a one-off event on Wednesday 16 October, with a menu celebrating the best of Australian seafood and Chef Govind’s Costa Rican influence.
For those who miss out on the chefs table experiences, each Chef has created two new dishes that reflect their personal style, utilising fresh, simple and market-driven cuisine, taking diners from Sydney Harbour to the coast of Santa Monica. These six Santa Monica inspired dishes will be available on The Gantry’s a la carte menu during the activation.
Santa Monica at Pier One will run for six weeks from Sunday 22 September to 31 October, with a trip to Santa Monica up for grabs each week of the activation. Visitors will be encouraged to snap a pic and tag on Instagram using #santamonicasydney.
