The decade-long legal battle over Matt Moran’s Opera Bar win has finally ended

The decade-long legal battle between Hugos restaurateur David Evans and the Sydney Opera House Trust over the 2014 tender for the Opera Bar has finally been resolved, just as the first deadline expires for the final bidders trying to catch one of Sydney hospitality’s golden geese. .

Expressions of interest to operate the Opera bar and its neighbor House Canteen over the next decade closed on Thursday. Situated at the foot of the Sydney Opera House, it is one of Sydney’s most desirable hospitality venues, given its spectacular harbor views and commercial benefits.

Hospitality group Solotel and chef Matt Moran have successfully run the harborside establishment as a joint venture for two decades and have confirmed they will fight again. Rumors have swirled this week about companies that would like to take Solotel’s place. The Boathouse Group has confirmed that she has entered the ring; hotel giants Merivale and Laundy Hotels are rumored to be involved.

Several expected contenders have ruled themselves out. Sunday Co., the growing group behind Morrison’s Oyster Bar & Grill and neighboring Opera Whalebridge bar, have confirmed they have not joined the race, and the same applies to The Point Group (Shell House, The Dolphin), which is busy opening International at the entrance to the new Martin Place station and has its own long-term coastal project, Fort Denison. Etymon, which runs Bistro Loulou, Poetica and The Charles Grand Brasserie, has also been excluded from participation.

Bidders are in the middle of a difficult process: either a new operator will take over later in 2025 or the incumbent will remain in place.

The last time Opera Bar was put up for tender was in 2014. The bitter fight turned into a legal battle after Evans, owner of Hugos, accused the architect of disclosing his plans to the Sydney Opera House Foundation, which controlled the tender, and giving Solotel an unfair advantage by allowing it to submit a second bid after the deadline.

The architect denied the allegations, as did the Opera House Trust, which said that as a public institution, the Sydney Opera House must adhere to strict procurement policies. He also explained that the process was closely monitored by an external integrity adviser.

The case went to trial in 2018, and the judge ordered the parties to seek mediation. Evans did not sue Solotel or Moran.

Six years later, Evans says the matter was eventually settled in July, but he is bound by a confidentiality agreement. “The settlement was confidential. I cannot discuss this issue,” he says.

An Opera House spokesman said: “The settlement and terms of the settlement are confidential and the parties are unable to make any public comments regarding it.”