In a former life, the Mayor was a rather ugly orange-brick post office facing Military Road, Cremorne. Fortunately, whoever designed the postal site installed floor-to-ceiling windows at the front and set the whole thing back from the footpath.
Enter husband and wife team Amy and Jorge Marrero who have transformed the site into The Mayor Bar & Dining. The venue oozes a New York vibe with high ceilings, smokey greys, exposed brick and images of the NYC’s mayor.
“We undertook a significant level of online and offline research over many months,” commented Jorge Marrero. “We thoroughly considered the environment we were hoping to create, and simply went about building a space we (and our family and friends) might enjoy frequenting … a warm, stylish destination, with a hint of that city flair, but without the posturing.
“The only external input came via our talented architect, Andrew Burns, who ensured our vision and wants were workable!”
The exterior brick is now blue and, beyond open venetian blinds, candles twinkle between leather chesterfield sofas. There’s a large dark wooden middle bar in the centre with comfy leather stools all around, sexily lit by illuminating the glassware – is decorated in charcoal hues with muted lighting. Its brick walls are painted a muted olive green and dark-brick red. Black-and-white photos of mayors – Clover Moore, Boris Johnson, Rudy Giuliani – hang on the wall. The feel is smart and cosy, but not overdone. A courtyard area is in the offing.
The audio was managed by the Marrero’s electrician, Charlie Balazs, and Platinum Commercial Kitchens (PCK), managed the entire build from demolition, to kitchen installation to painting.