About
Devoted Hospitality.
Swillhouse was founded in 2008 by a bartender named Anton Forte and a waiter called Jason Scott. Working together in Sydney, they bonded over their shared love of Sydney nightlife – and a shared vision of how it could be better. With half an idea and even less experience, they decided to open a bar of their own.
Shady Pines opened in Surry Hills in 2010, at the forefront of a wave of new venues that redefined Sydney’s nightlife and bar culture. The Baxter Inn, a bar dedicated to whisky and blues, opened in the central business district in 2011, followed in 2013 by another basement venue, Frankie’s Pizza (RIP), combining the virtues of a front-room pizzeria with a back room dedicated to hard rock and cold beer, opening late every night of the week.
The French-accented Restaurant Hubert, which opened in 2016 in the heart of Sydney’s financial district, was Swillhouse’s first food-led venue with three bars, live music and a world-class wine list.
In 2018 Alberto’s Lounge, an intimate, local Italian establishment and Italian sibling to Restaurant Hubert, opened in a back street of the central business district.
Then in 2023, the group branched into The Rocks with Le Foote, and Pitt street with The Caterpillar Club. On the one hand, Le Foote further cemented the groups culinary reputation with a a Mediterranean Menu in a heritage listed site and on the other, Caterpillar cemented the groups already burgeoning bar reputation opening the most successful late night bar within the CBD within the 12 months complete with live underground music.
“We knew that good bars existed and were operated by regular people like us,” says Forte. “ We took a chance and now we are proud to call multiple restaurants, bars, live music venues and a team of 300 plus staff all part of the Swillhouse Group. Our story doesn’t end here, we intend to continue to grow and develop our concepts within Australia and to be a prominent part of the Sydney hospitality scene.”
A lot has changed since the business was first founded, but the idea that started it all remains the same: regular people giving their all to make spaces in the city where extraordinary things can happen.