Vivid Sydney Dinner

Ben Greeno joined Merivale in 2015 to lead the culinary offering at the Paddington precinct which includes The Paddington, Fred’s, Charlie Parker’s and The Chicken Shop. In 2017, Ben Greeno was appointed Executive Chef of Merivale’s new acquisition, Hotel Centennial.

Danielle Alvarez cooks with both heart and mind. Her food is created to nourish, with an eye to respecting and valuing our producers.

In 2016, she was appointed Head Chef of Fred's in Paddington. In 2020, Danielle published her first successful cookbook and in 2022 decided to pause on restaurant life and focus on writing her second book.

Eddie Perfect is one of Australia's most diverse, respected and prolific writers, composers and performers. His theatre and comedy credits span stages and festivals across Australia and the globe, from Broadway productions of Strictly Ballroom The Musical to works with Opera Australia, Sydney Theatre Company, Malthouse Theatre and many more. In 2019, he received a nomination for Best Original Score at the Tony Awards for his work as composer and lyricist of Beetlejuice The Musical. His screen credits include Offspring, Play School, Kath and Kim, Spicks and Specks and more. Most recently, he toured solo show Introspective, and starred in the Australian production of 9 to 5: The Musical. 

Following the release of EP The Life Of Montaigne and then debut album Glorious Heights (2016), Montaigne’s evolution as an artist was a journey fans became part of, as they were able to witness their growth as a musician and performer on stages nationally. 2019 saw the arrival of their sophomore album, a collection of observations and stories beautifully delivered against a backdrop of sprawling and theatrical sounds, fittingly titled Complex. 2020 brought another pivotal moment for Montaigne, as they were selected to represent Australia at Eurovision in Rotterdam 2020, before returning in 2021. In 2022, they released eclectic third album making it!, an alt-pop journey through sugary, metallic production featuring two collaborations with David Byrne. 

Best known as the percussionist for supergroup OKA, Julian Belbachir now takes centre stage as a producer-composer with debut solo album Baddoukkala (2022), motivated by a deep love of North and West African folkloric music. An accomplished multi-instrumentalist and percussionist, Julian leads his live band with the N’goni, a 14-string African harp. Across his career, he has performed in over 30 countries and collaborated with artists including Tash Sultana, PNAU, Leonard Sumner and many more. 

Christine Anu is one of Australia’s most enduring and recognisable voices. Her three-decade-spanning career covers music, theatre, dance, film, TV, radio, children’s entertainment and more, including a historic performance of 'My Island Home' at the Sydney Olympic Games Closing Ceremony. She currently co-presents Weekend Evenings on ABC Radio on Friday and Saturdays. Proud of her Torres Strait Islander heritage, Christine uses her platform to advocate for Indigenous people and others from marginalised backgrounds.

Kate Monroe has been dubbed the "First Lady of House" and has been of one of Australia's preeminent house DJs, ruling dance floors in Australia and overseas for over two decades. Her passion for house music especially the vocal and the deep is legendary and her sets across every major club in Australia have made her an icon of the Australian House scene, playing headliner gigs in nearly every club in her home country.