This October, Auckland diners are in for a rare treat. As part of Savor Festival, Bivacco is set to play host to one of Australia’s most exciting culinary voices, Mitch Orr — presented by Penfolds. For one night only, the revered chef, best known for his cult restaurants Acme and Kiln, will bring his irreverent, flavour-first approach across the Tasman. Orr will craft a bespoke menu that captures the creativity and energy that have made him a defining figure in Sydney’s dining scene. Ahead of his one-night-only New Zealand debut, we look at the storied career of Sydney’s King of Cool.
There are chefs who master tradition, and then there’s Mitch Orr — a culinary shape-shifter who’s made a name by breaking all the rules and still coming out on top. Affectionately dubbed the ‘Prince of Pasta’, Orr has spent the better part of two decades reimagining what a bowl of noodles can be — not with reverence, but with irreverent, flavour-first flair that blends Italian structure with the deep, addictive umami of Japanese and Southeast Asian cuisines.
“He’s a connector, a challenger, and a charismatic disruptor who brings people together — often over something deceptively simple, like a Jatz cracker dressed to the nines.”
From humble beginnings in a Western Sydney pub kitchen, Orr’s trajectory has been anything but expected. He trained under some of the city’s most lauded chefs at Pilu at Freshwater and Sepia, before heading to the culinary mecca of Italy to join the team at Osteria Francescana — an experience that added depth and daring to his already electric style. It was here that he sharpened his precision while absorbing the artistry of a kitchen that balanced tradition and innovation in equal measure. These lessons would later become the backbone of his own approach: technical mastery paired with a refusal to be boxed in.
But it was back home, in the thick of Sydney’s dining scene, where he made his biggest mark. At Acme, the cult-favourite Rushcutters Bay spot he co-owned and helmed, Orr built a loyal following and racked up an armful of accolades. It was one of those rare restaurants where everything just clicked: food, wine, music, design, the attitude of the floor staff — all of it curated with the same meticulous thought. The pasta was playful yet polished (think pig’s head macaroni or linguine laced with black garlic and burnt chilli), and the atmosphere invited everyone in, from industry insiders to curious first-timers. Acme wasn’t just a place to eat; it was a full-throttle expression of what a modern, inclusive, and exciting dining experience could be. Its influence, in menu style, service approach, and even soundtrack, continues to ripple through Sydney’s most progressive kitchens today.
Then came Kiln — a rooftop revelation at Ace Hotel Sydney that flipped the script on what hotel dining could look like. With fire at its core and a menu that echoed Orr’s signature fusion of finesse and comfort, Kiln was a hit from the jump. It earned a slew of awards, including Best New Restaurant and a Good Food Guide hat in its first year, reaffirming the chef’s position at the forefront of Australia’s food culture. It was the kind of restaurant that reminded diners how thrilling it could be to eat somewhere that was both unpretentious and uncompromising — where a plate of anchovy-garnished Jatz could sit comfortably alongside wood-fired marron or aged duck.
Orr’s reach extends far beyond his own kitchens. His pop-ups and collaborations have taken him to London, Singapore, Denmark, Melbourne, and Perth, each time bringing a taste of Sydney’s boundary-pushing dining scene to a global audience. Back home, he’s a mentor to young chefs and a respected voice in the industry, frequently lending his insight to media outlets and podcasts. His commitment to community runs deep, with considered ambassadorships for organisations like Two Good Co, OzHarvest and Plate It Forward, where he donates his time and skills to support vulnerable communities.
Whether collaborating with chefs overseas, mentoring the next wave of talent, or championing accessible dining, Orr has always been about more than just the plate. He’s a connector, a challenger, and a charismatic disruptor who brings people together — often over something deceptively simple, like a Jatz cracker dressed to the nines.
Now, as he steps away from Kiln and into the next phase of his career as culinary director of the soon-to-open 25hours in the Olympia Hotel in Sydney, one thing’s certain: wherever Mitch Orr goes, flavour follows — and the industry watches closely.
Sample Mitch Orr’s mastery first-hand on Thursday, 15th October as he steps into the kitchen at Bivacco for one night only, curating a menu for Penfolds as part of Savor Group’s annual Savor Festival.
