Case Studies / Kitchen by Mike
Sydney CBD • From 2016 - 2025
A canteen reborn for the city.
By 2016, Sydney’s CBD dining scene was saturated with fast-casual chains and formal restaurants — but few offered real food made from scratch, with seasonality and honesty at the core. The ambition was to bring Kitchen by Mike’s Rosebery ethos into the heart of the city: to feed busy professionals wholesome, canteen-style meals without losing the warmth, generosity, and integrity that defined the brand.
Approach
The Bent Street site became a modern interpretation of the original canteen — refined yet unpretentious. Daily-changing menus showcased produce sourced directly from local growers, cooked simply over wood and served simply to share.
The open kitchen and communal tables created transparency and connection, turning a city lunch into something soulful and social. Every element — from the sourdough baked on-site to the recycled timbers and hand-thrown ceramics — reflected Kitchen by Mike’s founding values of sustainability and craft.
The open kitchen and communal tables created transparency and connection, turning a city lunch into something soulful and social. Every element — from the sourdough baked on-site to the recycled timbers and hand-thrown ceramics — reflected Kitchen by Mike’s founding values of sustainability and craft.
Outcome
Kitchen by Mike CBD transformed weekday dining for a generation of city workers. It became a gathering place for creatives, corporates, and producers alike — a place where good food met good design.
Its success proved that the canteen model could thrive in high-density urban settings, laying the foundation for Kitchen by Mike’s evolution into airport, gallery, and institutional environments across Australia.
