Now in its 13th year of operation, Woolahra's beautiful garden restaurant Chiswick has welcomed a new head chef. Samuel Rozsnyoi is now at the pass of Matt Moran's elegantly casual eastern suburbs spot, and his first menu showcases seasonal produce prepared with clever restraint, with an increased focus on approachability.

Sydney-born Rozsnyoi has built quite a CV — he's worked at restaurants in Sydney, Denmark, Paris and Berlin. Here, he's trained under the likes of Josh Niland, Danielle Alvarez, Pasi Petanen and Mitch Orr, and he completed his apprenticeship at Ultimo TAFE while working under Nic Wong at Cho Cho San. More recently, he led the kitchens at Potts Point wine bar Dear Saint Éloise and buzzy Coogee neighbourhood restaurant Louie.

"In heading up the kitchen at Chiswick, I'm looking forward to reinterpreting the vision of the kitchens that have shaped me over the course of my career," says Rozsnyoi. "Paci taught me all about layers and presentation, whereas Josh taught me the ins and outs of breaking down whole fish and making the most of the incredible produce that comes your way. Danielle Alvarez showed me the importance of cooking from the heart."

This know-how diverges nicely with Chiswick's produce-driven, hyper-seasonal ethos. Rozsnyoi's debut menu makes full use of the restaurant's kitchen garden, and showcases the chef's creativity while sticking to Chiswick's fundamentals. That means that alongside Chiswick's much-loved slow-roasted lamb and beer-battered fish with hand-cut chips and labneh tartare, you'll also find dishes like baked lumache, mushroom, mozzarella, chilli, and a new grill section that features prime cuts from farmers including Ramarro Farms, Altair, Chris Bolton, as well as, on occasion, the Moran Family Farm. New desserts include a bay leaf custard tart and a salted caramel semifreddo served with seasonal fruit and honeycomb.

"Matt Moran is someone who has shaped the culinary landscape of Australia, and the opportunity to bring a fresh perspective to all that Chiswick has established over the last 12 years is an incredible honour," says Rozsnyoi.

In addition to a new chef leading the charge, Chiswick has also unveiled a new bar area, which welcomes guests looking for a more casual dining experience or those popping in for a drink and a snack. Rozsnyoi has also tweaked the bar menu, with new dishes like wood-roasted prawns with curry butter and pomelo, beef tartare with pumpkin panisse and comté sitting alongside the likes of Chiswick's crowd-favourite 'barra-masalata'.

"Chiswick has been a mainstay of Sydney's dining scene for over ten years, and it's Samuel's passion for produce-driven cooking and his talent for creating dishes that are both refined and approachable that make him the perfect fit for our philosophy," says Matt Moran, Chiswick's co-owner. "I've actually had my eye on Sam for a while…he's one of the brightest young talents in the Sydney food scene right now. I can't wait for our guests to experience his cooking."

Chiswick is located at 65 Ocean Street, Woollahra. For more information, head to the venue's website.

Images: Zi Chen Photography.