Our Team
Generosity, simplicity, authenticity and sustainable wholefoods form the core of our philosophy.
Meet our executive-chef and owner, and the management team at No.1 Bent Street.
Mike McEnearney
Mike McEnearney is executive chef and owner of No.1 Bent Street by Mike and Kitchen by Mike. Generosity, simplicity, authenticity and sustainable wholefoods form the core of Mike’s philosophy. Be it his much loved and inspiring canteen Kitchen by Mike, or his restaurant No.1 Bent Street’s warm and modern dining space with an open plan wood fired kitchen and bar, he uses only the best seasonal and locally sourced produce available each day. Mike’s long held belief that food is medicine saw him pioneer Australia’s first urban physic garden. He holds over 25 years’ experience - heading up some of the world’s finest restaurants in Sydney and London. Mike currently has two books published,Kitchen by Mike and most recently Real Food by Mike. He is also the creative director and curator of the Carriageworks Farmers Market.
Jeffrey De Rome
Jeffrey De Rome is head chef and business partner at No.1 Bent Street. He started his journey cooking at the tender age of 15 and has never looked back. He quickly rose through the ranks travelling to London to work at the prestigious Lanesborough Hotel. It was here that Jeffrey gained the passion for cooking vegetables under the highly regarded chef Paul Gayler. In 2007 he returned to Sydney to fulfill his dream of working at Rockpool which is where he met Mike. Since this time Jeffrey has been by Mike’s side from Kitchen by Mike and most recently No.1 Bent Street. Jeffrey believes in loyalty above all else and that knowledge is a chef’s greatest asset. He has a very strong understanding of Asian and European flavours which shines through in his cooking at No.1 Bent Street.
Peter Liapis
Peter has recently joined No.1 Bent Street having worked in the city with the China Lane Group and Merivale for the past 6 years. Previous to that he was in the UK working with Peter Gordon, Prue Leith and Urban Caprice among others. Peter’s philosophy is that food and drink should bring people together, creating conversation, joy and enduring memories. From a Mediterranean background, food has always been an intrinsic part of his life. “Some of my fondest memories growing up were watching the lamb on the spit in the backyard or my mother and aunty turning the entire house into a pasta making machine! My uncle had a farm where he bred goats and quail for the local community.” Peter has a soft spot for chardonnay, negronis, dessert, but not necessarily in that order.