Italian

Chefs from Ester and Berta have opened Bacco Osteria e Espresso in Sydney CBD

With a focus on age-old Italian cuisine, the much-anticipated trattoria-style Bacco Osteria e Espresso has now opened in Sydney, fronted by Executive Chef Andrew Cibej and Head Chef Scott Williams, both whom are well known for their work at favourites like Ester and Berta. This is their first CBD venture as a team, positioned on…

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Handmade pasta bar Flour Eggs Water takes over Besser in Surry Hills (Sydney)

Crown Street pasta bar Besser is no more, having now been reshaped and reborn as the second location for Flour Eggs Water. While both brands are more casual members of the A Tavola family, owner Eugenio Maiale made the decision to tighten the focus on Flour Eggs Water, mirroring Tramsheds’ resident Italian staple with a…

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Review: Mezzanino Ristorante brings yum cha style Italian dining to Waterloo (Sydney)

Step into Danks Street Produce Merchants in Waterloo and you’ll be greeted by fresh produce, artisan goods, and an Italian dining experience housed in the the building where Fratelli Fresh once dwelled. Brought to you by the team behind Fourth Village Providore in Mosman, Danks Street Produce Merchants and the restaurant above it, Mezzanino Ristorante,…

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New owners reimagine St Kilda’s Pizza E Birra as a seafood and pizza bar (Melbourne)

New owners have seen a few changes going down at St Kilda favourite Pizza E Birra, with the restaurant now fashioned as Melbourne’s very first pizza and seafood bar. “We are thrilled with the opportunity to take over such an iconic venue and to continue the wonderful tradition of quality wood-fired pizza and beer”, said…

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Olio Kensington Street will bring the soul of Sicilian dining to Chippendale (Sydney)

2016 was one of the best 12 month periods for new restaurant and bar openings in Sydney (lockout laws withstanding; on that note, good riddance Mike Baird), but just because the year is over doesn’t mean the momentum is slowing. Case in point: just a few weeks into 2017 and we’re already getting a shiny…

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Review: Pasta and cocktails steal the show at Bar Machiavelli – Rushcutters Bay (Sydney)

Sydney’s legendary Machiavelli Ristorante has been standing proud for over 27 years now, a mature, powerful presence for classic Italian, and a shining example of an endearing dining institution. Some may have noticed that the business has been slowly expanding in these past few years, some recent openings being the streamlined Mach2 in Sydney Airport,…

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Review: Fratelli Fresh – Westfield CBD (Sydney)

Fratelli Fresh has long been an iconic brand for Sydney’s dining scene, a produce-driven Italian dining concept that was this year picked up by Urban Purveyor Group (now Rockpool Dining Group) and spread far and wide to new locations outside of the original and best known Bridge Street and Walsh Bay venues. One of the…

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Review: Classico Moderno – Darlinghurst (Sydney)

Three different set menus – with the option to mix-and-match or add dishes – define the offering at new Darlinghurst restaurant Classico Moderno, which sits modestly behind the Hyde Park end of Oxford Street. Chef Bryan Gerlini seems to have been inspired from his time spent at the highly acclaimed Café Paci with Pasi Petanen,…

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Cafe Paci chef brings Darlinghurst a new pop up restaurant with Classico Moderno (Sydney)

The Emilia-Romagna region of Northern Italy is about to see a major champion with new Sydney pop-up restaurant Classico Moderno, a concept from young local chef Bryan Gerlini who is determined to showcase the best of his home and its classic cuisine. Aside from being the founding Head Chef of Leichhardt’s excellent Capriccio Osteria, Gerlini…

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Review: Margherita’s Vinoteca – CBD (Sydney)

The word “Margherita” is normally synonymous with pizza. It could also be mistaken for a cocktail, as this could be how you would spell it after drinking one too many. But “Margherita’s” is also the name of a new restaurant, vinoteca and charcuterie in the heart of World Square in Sydney. It is located in…

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Review: Italian Street Kitchen – Neutral Bay (Sydney)

There is no denying that Italy is a food lover’s paradise. The culture and the cuisine can send a visiting foodie into fits of whatever the hell it is that makes a foodie uscire di senno (lose your head); this is where a joint like Italian Street Kitchen comes into play, an “over the bridge”…

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Mio Locale introduces hearty Italian Sunday feasts to Brunswick Street (Melbourne)

Starting from 17th July, on the last Sunday of each month, Mio Locale will be hosting a special four course Sunday Feast lunch event. Located on the quieter end of Melbourne’s lively Brunswick Street, Mio Locale is a family run café serving Italian and Mediterranean influenced cuisine. Mio Locale’s new Sunday Feast lunch events are…

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Review: Margherita & Co – CBD (Sydney)

Margherita & Co is like a little slice of Italy. The new restaurant in the Hordern Arcade at World Square in Sydney looks poised to bring food that is buona and bella (good and beautiful – doesn’t everything sound better in Italian?) to a spot previously renowned for Asian eateries. The concept is courtesy of…

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Eat’aliano by Pino brings classic Italian to Windsor (Melbourne)

With the opening of their brand new restaurant Eat’aliano, restaurateur Alessio Ali and Head Chef Pino Russo have decided to bring a little taste of the Mediterranean to the neighbourhood of Windsor, where Asian cuisine has dominated so far. The pair, who previously worked together at Mascalzone Pizzeria in Williamstown, aim to make their wood-fired pizzas the star…

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A25 Pizzeria expands to Hardware Lane (Melbourne)

Docklands’ and South Yarra’s popular Italian eatery, A25 Pizzeria have made its way to the heart of the CBD, extending the team’s well-loved pizza place to the vigorous scene on the corner of Lonsdale Street and Hardware Lane. The new restaurant maintains a strong focus on classic Italian coffee and quick ‘on-the-go’ breakfast options for CBD…

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Review: Vicolo Café – CBD (Sydney)

The great café revolution that has swept the outskirts of Sydney CBD for the past few years hasn’t quite cleaned up the clutter in the annoyingly one-way streets around Town Hall and Wynyard. Sure, there’s some excellent long-established institutions that have withstood the test of time, but for the most, it’s often a gamble walking…

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Review: +39 Pizzeria – Toorak (Melbourne)

Situated on Malvern Rd, the second venue of Melbourne’s beloved +39 Pizzeria has settled in quite comfortably into its new Toorak space. With polished concrete floors, re-purposed timber tables, and crisp white walls adorned with dark wooden shelves filled with a variety of San Pellegrino drinks, the aesthetics of the new venue perfectly match the…

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Leichhardt’s Capricco Osteria announces regional dinner series (Sydney)

Leichhardt’s popular modern Italian restaurant Capriccio Osteria will begin a new series of regional dinners from Tuesday 3rd May, scheduling five-course dining experiences for the first Tuesday of every month, from May until August. Co-owner Matteo Galletto and Chef Bryan Gerlini have designed the dinners towards food and wine pairings which highlight a specific region…

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Bar Machiavelli is the new modern Italian dining experience in Rushcutters Bay (Sydney)

Established Sydney CBD dining icon, Machiavelli Restaurant, has now opened its Rushcutters Bay counterpart on Neild Avenue in a warehouse-style venue. The new restaurant, Bar Machiavelli, is also run by original Machiavelli creator Paola Toppi and seeks to add the Rushcutter Bay’s popular Italian dining scene which already includes Popolo and ACME. The menu will feature…

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Molto Italian opens up on Eastlake Parade (Canberra)

Our nation’s capital has a new Italian restaurant with Molto Italian, which opened earlier this year on Eastlake Parade in Kingston, Canberra. Fashioned after a modern seaside trattoria with sleek interiors, high ceilings, and an open kitchen and bar with a featured wood fired oven, the large 130-seat restaurant is an ode to the classic…

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Review: 400 Gradi – Brunswick (Melbourne) (revisited February 2016)

Italian restaurant 400 Gradi in East Brunswick is synonymous with delectable cuisine, impeccable service, and an atmosphere that always seems to be buzzing. Having previously visited esteemed chef Johnny Di Francesco’s restaurants twice before, I was sure that third time would certainly be just as charming, with even more to try. Dim lighting greeted us…

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Popolo – Rushcutters Bay (Sydney)

Much has changed at popular Italian restaurant Popolo, but thankfully not in it’s infectiously laid-back atmosphere; it’s still got that same piazza-style cool about it, offering an incredibly relaxing dining experience that flows throughout the outdoor and indoor dining areas. Established as one of the most popular restaurants in the area, now three years into…

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Mach2 – Sydney International Airport T1

Long-established as an Italian dining institution, Sydney’s Machiavelli now enjoys an extended reach throughout the city, with their second sister restaurant, another incarnation of Mach2, propped up right before customs at Sydney International Airport T1. It’s part of the re-focused dining options at airports around Australia, bringing in more reliable and popular outlets to up…

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Sydney gets a new three-level establishment with Lot.1

2015 is ending with a burst of exciting new openings for Sydney and front and centre is Lot.1, a lush three-level establishment in the heart of the CBD that offers a premium dining experience, leaning towards classic Italian favourites and focused on local seasonal ingredients handled with a refined modern twist. The venue has a…

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Leichhardt’s Capriccio Osteria & Bar introduces new menu plus all-day dining (Sydney)

Relatively new Leichhardt restaurant Capriccio Osteria & Bar has officially entered into the flavours of summer with their latest seasonal menu, bringing with it the introduction of all-day dining from Tuesday to Sunday. Now that the restaurant has built up a local following around Sydney, it’s time for third generation restaurateurs Matteo Galletto (son of…

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Urban Purveyor Group announce plans for an Italian restaurant in Sydney

They already have renowned Japanese, French, and German restaurants up and down the east coast of Australia, and now Urban Purveyor Group are seeking to add Italian to the list of cuisines spread across their award-winning restaurants. By mid-2016, the hospitality group that boasts Sake, Ananas Bar & Brasserie, the Bavarian Bier Cafes, and the…

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Osteria Balla Manfredi launches an organic lunch menu (Sydney)

The great Stefano Manfredi has seen his popular restaurant The Star, Osteria Balla Manfredi, become one of the top Italian restaurants in Sydney, largely in part to a constant desire for growth and a dedication to produce. As 2015 comes to a close, Balla is taking a new angle for it’s lunch offerings, introducing an…

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Da Vinci’s Italian Restaurant – Summer Hill (Sydney)

We have but no choice to be more discerning when it comes to Italian food in Sydney; the proliferation of authentic, good quality Italian restaurants across the city has educated us all on the beautiful diversity this inescapable cuisine delivers. While the new ventures are consistently giving us a reason to fall in love with…

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Candelori’s (Spring 2015) – Smithfield (Sydney)

Candelori’s is a long-running, well-known restaurant in Western Sydney that more recently went through a major rework and now stands as, quite possibly, the best looking restaurant in the area. Step through that massive door and you’ll be met with an imposing space, designed to fit over 200 diners by stalwart design group DS17, who…

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Italian eatery One Ford Street opens in Balmain (Sydney)

Last week Balmain welcomed a brand new eatery attached to the recently re-worked Cricketers Arms Hotel on Darling Street. Named One Ford Street the attractive new spot will focus on fresh, authentic Italian food with a menu designed by Chef Sam Bennett (ex Bourke Street Bakery; Fix St James) who is working alongside floor manager,…

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