By Leigh O’Connor.
After four glittering years hovering above Sydney Harbour, Oncore by Clare Smyth will call its final service on February 28, 2026, closing the chapter on one of Australia’s most lauded fine-dining rooms.
Perched high above the water in Crown Sydney at Barangaroo, Oncore brought a slice of London’s celebrated Core to the harbour city, pairing cinematic views with meticulously detailed plates and a fierce commitment to sustainability.
The restaurant was an instant phenomenon. When it debuted in the Australian Good Food Guide, Oncore entered with an extraordinary 19 Chef Hats – the highest-scoring debut in AGFG history.
That early success set the tone for its tenure in Sydney, where the restaurant quickly established itself among the country’s most elite dining destinations and helped elevate the city’s global culinary profile.
Oncore’s star power began with its namesake. Clare Smyth who is widely regarded as one of the most influential Chefs of her generation and is the first and only British female Chef to hold three Michelin stars in the United Kingdom, thanks to her Notting Hill flagship, Core by Clare Smyth.
Before launching Core, Clare spent 13 years working closely with Gordon Ramsay, ultimately becoming Chef Patron of his three-Michelin-star Restaurant Gordon Ramsay in London. The role cemented her reputation for precision, discipline and deeply produce-driven cooking - an ethos she carried with her to Sydney.
At Oncore, Clare’s pedigree found a powerful partner in Head Chef Alan Stuart, who has quietly steered the Sydney kitchen from day one. New Zealand-born and classically French-trained, Alan studied at the Culinary Institute of New Zealand before heading abroad to build an impressive international résumé.
His career includes time at globally recognised restaurants such as Restaurant Gordon Ramsay in London, Eleven Madison Park in New York and Stockholm’s Restaurant Frantzén, before joining Core in London where he first worked directly with Clare.
Photo credit: Crown Sydney.
When pandemic border closures delayed Clare’s ability to be on the ground for Oncore’s opening, it was Alan who took the lead in shaping the restaurant’s day-to-day operations and translating the Core philosophy to a new continent. He worked to harmonise Core’s signature dishes with Australian ingredients and local terroir, allowing Oncore to showcase both Clare’s vision and the distinctive produce of New South Wales.
The announcement of Oncore’s closure marks the end of a remarkable chapter for Sydney’s dining landscape. The restaurant, Clare’s first and only venture outside the UK, will close after a critically acclaimed run, with February 28, 2026 set as its final service.
While the reasons for the closure have not been disclosed, Clare is refocusing her energy on major projects in London as her global profile continues to expand.
For Sydney diners, Oncore’s farewell will feel like the closing notes of a singular era in high-rise haute cuisine - a restaurant that arrived fully formed, launched with an unprecedented 19 Chef Hats and consistently pushed the boundaries of what fine dining in Australia could be.
As the countdown to its final service begins, the legacy of Oncore by Clare Smyth is already firmly etched in the city’s culinary history.
