Bar Freda's joins Sydney's big push for a more dynamic nightlife

Bar Freda’s is the new incarnation of one of Sydney’s most recognisable nightlife brands.
After shuttering their Darlinghurst cafe, the Freda’s crew have now popped up in one of the spaces of The Abercrombie Hotel.
The new Freda’s will be an Italian wine bar by the day and host lavish parties at night.
READ MORE: Here’s how Sydney’s sliding into a new era of fun.

Sydney institution Cafe Freda’s broke many hearts in December when the beloved team called last drink’s on their Darlinghurst home. But such sorrow was short-lived when it was revealed Freda’s would just be relocated back to its spiritual home of Chippendale, with Bar Freda’s popping up just down the road from the warehouse dance bar where it all started.

Owners Dave Abram and Carla Uriarte have now revealed an opening date for the new phase of Freda’s. Starting from Thursday, April 24, the crew will lead a regular night of programming at Solotel’s dynamic The Abercrombie, which has a 24-hour licence and several club spaces.

The announcement follows a short social media search for new “disc jockeys” to join the team, making it seem like this new incarnation will be weighted more heavily towards music and dancing. Just like it used to be before Freda’s became more of a community-minded cafe, known for its highly sociable al fresco seating opposite Taylor Square.

Bar Freda’s will move into the former Lil Sis space at The Abercrombie with a similar focus on approachable Italian food and natural wines, shifting into more of a club-minded party spot as the night rolls on.

“We knew this was the perfect collaboration at the right time for us,” says Abram, who has collaborated closely with Solotel’s CEO, Elliot Solomon.

“We had been thinking about how to bring together elements from the two different venues we’ve operated in the past. When we first discussed the Lil Sis site and programming the club space in The Abercrombie with Elliot, it felt like serendipity – it was exactly what we had hoped to do for our next project.”

With Sydney’s nightlife swelling out to become more diverse and dynamic, it’s nice to see the stalwarts are still kicking around and rethinking how they can stay at the forefront while the Harbour City bids to make Sydney fun again (or, as the cool kids are saying, MSFA).