Sam Kane's New Venture: The Corner Palm Beach Gets It Just Right.

There’s a certain thrill to walking into a place on its first day of service.

A sense of fresh paint, of nervous energy, of a brand new idea taking its first breath.

When we heard that acclaimed chef Sam Kane was taking over the iconic Boathouse Palm Beach site, we knew we had to be there.

The new venue is called The Corner, and it’s a brilliant and timely reinvention of a beloved local spot.

Set in the iconic parkside location of the former Boathouse Palm Beach, The Corner is filling a much needed niche on the peninsula.

“I call it a grocery store with a wine bar,” says Kane,

and that’s exactly what it is. It’s a place built for locals and day-trippers alike, a spot where you can just as easily pop in for some sunscreen and a perfect sandwich as you can settle in for a glass of European wine.

This is a passion project for Kane, a chef who has spent years at the helm of some of Sydney’s most respected kitchens, including Bistro Moncur and, most recently, a five-year stint as head chef at Merivale’s waterfront jewel, Bert’s. He’s a Northern Beaches local who wanted to create the kind of place he’d want to shop and eat in himself. "I saw an opportunity to create a space for locals that … celebrates those ingredients when they are in their prime,” he says.

Smoked rainbow trout, potato latkes, creme fraiche with trout roe

The result is a beautiful, casual space. Glass louvres lining an entire wall give it an easy, relaxed, sub-tropical feel. On one side, a dining area surrounds a central bar; on the other, a provisions store stocked with the kind of hard-to-find ingredients and daily delivered fresh produce that a chef of Kane's calibre loves to use. The bread is baked fresh on-site by sous and pastry chef Ximena Fernandez, another Bert's alum.

A wall of louvres

From 7am daily, a breakfast and lunch menu takes charge. But on Friday and Saturday nights, Kane puts the apron back on for a fixed-price dinner, and a chance to see his incredible pedigree shine.

The Insider Tip: This is a wine bar where you take your appetite and your cooler bag. While only a day old when we visited, we're sure the provisions selection will grow over the coming weeks. You'll definitely find something you want to take home.

Our Final Say: Sam Kane has been dreaming about a place like this for years. It’s personal, it’s smart, and it’s a brilliant addition to the Northern Beaches. It’s a place that understands exactly what a perfect day at Palmy needs: great coffee, delicious food, a good bottle of wine, and something wonderful to take home for dinner. It’s a new local, and we think it’s going to be an essential one.