It’s Sunday night and you want to wind down the weekend by tucking into delicious food while listening to live music.
If that’s you, well, Fred’s the man. Or the place, to be more precise.
Upstairs@freds is located on the first floor of the old Whitemans building right in the heart of Camden, more or less in the centre of the Macarthur region.
But the main thing with Fred is that there’s nothing else like it in our neck of the woods.
Whether you live in Camden or Narellan, Ingleburn, Campbelltown or Glen Alpine, this venue is definitely one of a kind.
I am not even sure what to call it because it’s not just a wine bar that cooks up a tapas storm in the kitchen.
It’s not just a night club – apart from anything else it opens early on the weekend to cook breakfast for you.
And then there’s the ambience and for which owner Steve Wisbey takes much of the credit.
Sometimes you feel like you stumbled into one of those chic French salons of the 19th century.
But when you sink into one of those comfy lounges while sipping on a nice glass of Pinot Noir it feels like you’re at home in your own lounge and Camden born and bred Lauren Azar is singing just for you.
That’s how it felt for our little birthday group of four last Sunday when Lauren’s music project, Starla, were performing in Fred’s main room.
We also got in early enough to catch solo man Ben Camden, who hails from the Southern Highlands and boasts a very good voice.
Just about like everything else, the service at Fred’s is better than you’d get almost anywhere else in Macarthur.
We ordered a stack of tapas, from grilled baby octopus to pork ribs and it was both a great way to share food as well as top notch tucker.
But back to that ambience and Steven Wisbey, OAM and his partner, Mandy Avinou.
“We didn’t hire interior designers and we’re not multi millionaire restaurateurs,’’ explains the Wiz, as I I’ve always called him.
“Fred came from the heart and Mandy and I painted and papered every inch of the place, collected all the furniture and designed the quirky look.
“It was about ticking off a bucket list idea we as a couple had and doing our best, as inexperienced as we were, to create something cool!
“Two years of hard work and we’ve learnt so much but are really excited to evolve and try new things.
“The place has a personality of its own but a bit like me and Mandy, a little bit crazy and fun,’’ says Steve and who am I to argue.
Indeed I remember interviewing Steve right in the middle of all of the painting and decorating at Fred’s when he was named in the Order of Australia honours list a couple of years ago.
So it started with the ambience, which is truly unique, followed it up with quality tapas food and an excellent range of craft beers on tap as well as awesome cocktails.
But now Fred’s has also become the musicians’ haven with live music on Friday, Saturday and Sunday adding to the ambience.
Of course the ambience isn’t just the main room, it’s the smaller private function rooms – and the view over Camden from the verandah can’t be topped.
There were a group of gentlemen on the balcony on Sunday night and they seemed to be having a whale of a time.
No, not rowdy good time, that’s definitely not Fred’s style.
“Fred’s really has a personality that adult diners love, it’s funky and stylish, but it’s not for everyone,’’ says the Wiz.
“It’s for people that go to Surry Hills or Newtown to get the vibe they want.
“We know Macarthur is mature enough for this experience now and we wanted to create this for ourselves firstly and then share it with our friends.
“It’s the kind of place where friends and relaxed dining feels so comfy you just want to belong.’’
It did help that Fred’s is in a beautiful old building with high ceilings and fireplaces and rooms off rooms.
Which means Fred offers a Private Rock & Roll VIP Room and a Private Dining Room.
As for the ladies, well, tell them Steve: “There’s Fred’s very own, very sexy, feminine Champagne Room.’’
If there were such a thing as a local place in your bucket list, upstairs@freds would be mine.
Enquiries or bookings: Call 4655 5369 or visit the website here.
