More than six years after a fire damaged the building, the former home of the popular Porteño Restaurant in Surry Hills is going up for auction.
Since the fire, Porteño owners and chef Ben Milgate and Elvis Abrahanowicz have moved their establishment to Holt Street with their Bodega tapas bar.
The property on Riley Street then underwent a $2.5-million refurbishment that transformed it into modern office spaces. The refurbishment into a modern office space received recognition at the Australian Interior Design Award and the Idea Awards, alongside various magazine features.
Milligan Group snapped up the former Porteño building and signed the fashion house, AJE, as its tenant.
AJE still has six years left to its lease but the building owners and investors have decided to put the former Porteno site, with a 760-square metre space, up for auction in late November 2021. Interests in the property has been high since this building stands on “one of Sydney’s most tightly held city fringe destinations,” per industry experts.
The precinct in the corner of Cleveland and Riley Streets is due to change in the coming years, with the redevelopment of the nearby Surry Hills Village from the TOGA Group. This precinct is slated to become a shopping centre with 111 apartment units and a boutique hotel.
After the fire, Chinese investors bought the building for $6.66 million in 2016. The site currently has a $13 million price guide.
Porteño Restaurant, which serves mostly Argentinian dishes, continues to operate at its new location. It has been recognized as one of the top 50 restaurants in Sydney by Gourmet Traveller, whilst the chefs were named 2013 Chef of the Year by The Sydney Morning Herald.
In 2020, the owners expanded the Holt Street site by opening Bastardo, a trattoria, and Humble Bakery. Mr Abrahanowicz dubbed this area their own little Porteño precint.