We tried Sydney’s newest Italian restaurant, set in the stunning heritage walls of The Lands by Capella precinct.
You’ve probably wandered past the Lands by Capella precinct, an elegant, heritage sandstone building just a short stroll from the hustle and bustle of Circular Quay.
Located next to the five-star Capella Hotel, recently named the best hotel in Oceania, The Lands by Capella has always had an air of mystery about it.
Billed as a “luxury event space” for everything from “grand galas and international conferences to elegant weddings and private celebrations”, it’s easy to assume this secretive pocket in the city is only reserved for special occasions.
That’s all changing with the arrival of Spezia, an open-air courtyard restaurant, reimagining Italian dining through the spices once traded along the Silk Road, or, as the restaurant describes it, “familiar comforts, quietly surprising”. The name is a nod to the concept: “spezia” means “spices” in Italian.
Spezia spans two heritage courtyards, transformed into distinctly European dining spaces with terracotta and dusty-pink furnishings, cream walls and warm rust tones. Each courtyard seats 65 guests, with the two spaces connected by historic carriageways.
It’s a fun reminder of the building’s past: these passageways once allowed horse-drawn carriages to turn around within the building itself (before Ubers and designated drop-off lanes were a thing).
We were among the first to dine at the new restaurant, led by Michelin-star chef Jae Bang and head chef Aaron Caccia. Here’s what we loved, what we’d recommend, and everything else you should know about Spezia.
Our top picks from the menu
The Spezia menu is made up of six different courses: Sfizi (translating loosely to “little indulgences”), Antipasti, Salumi, Primi, Secondi and Dolce. There’s also Contorni (sides).
A non-negotiable order for me? The oysters served with tamarind and parsley oil. They’ll set you back $36 for half a dozen, but the refreshing, clean herbiness of the parsley combined with the sweet tanginess of the tamarind is the perfect start to your evening at Spezia.
Another highlight was the grissini ($10), which are long, thin Italian breadsticks. Accompanied by Earl Grey and tomato powder whipped butter, it’s imperative that you smother this all over the grissini and enjoy a crunchy bite complemented by the soft, complex butter.
Next is the Antipasti, a traditional first-course appetiser in Italy. The standout dish was the silky eggplant ($28), served atop a layer of soft stracciatella. A scattering of fresh basil and the warm, fragrant flavours of tandoori masala give the dish plenty of depth, while the creamy stracciatella keeps it firmly rooted in its Italian inspiration.
There’s also grilled octopus ($39), slow-cooked and served with Calabrian chilli, nduja, capsicum, samphire and cucumber. It’s got the perfect little kick from the nduja, and the crunch of cucumber paired with the softness of the octopus is a delightful duo for the taste buds.
The beef tartare ($34) is unlike any I’ve had before, thanks to the addition of wattleseed, porcini, buckwheat and burnt onion. The octopus and beef tartare were both delicious, but if you’re looking to keep the bill down, I’d stick with the eggplant, as it was easily the highlight for me.
The Primi dishes are next, in the form of carby pastas and a saffron risotto. We tried the zucchini sedanini and duck ragù caserecce, both served green thanks to the addition of spinach in the pasta-making process.
Again, it was the cheapest dish, the zucchini sedanini ($36), that brought me the most joy. Topped with crispy zucchini, the simple combination of chilli and zesty lemon worked beautifully with the thick, indulgent pasta, proving that sometimes, less is more.
If you’re a serious cheese devotee, though, make sure you order the saffron risotto. It was one of the richest, most unapologetically Parmigiano-heavy dishes I’ve ever had, which is dreamy for some but maybe too much for others.
For Secondi (yes, we’re still going!), we had the market fish, which was Murray cod, served with turmeric, polenta, tomato and mussels ($52), plus the ribeye ($150 for 600G) with roasted tomato ($18), mashed potato ($18) and fennel and radicchio salad ($18).
The Spezia philosophy is really showcased through the sides. The mashed potato is seasoned with nutmeg, white pepper and clove, while the roasted tomato is complemented with ginger and balsamic. The fennel and radicchio salad is zingy thanks to orange, with a crunch from sunflower seeds sprinkled over the top. You’re constantly being served new flavours and spices paired with traditional dishes.
If you’re feeling boujie, the ribeye is worth the hefty price tag. Tender, pink and cooked to perfection, it’s the perfect plate for those looking to impress. The market fish is also delicious, and the addition of mussels in a rich, tomatoey sauce gives it an extra layer of luxury.
I have a rule, a life motto, if you will: I’m never too full for tiramisu. Especially when it’s topped with tonka bean and brandy mascarpone, with the silky concoction spooned over the dessert by your waiter. Spezia’s perfectly layered tiramisu ($20) is made next-level by the addition of this creamy topping, and puts their iteration towards the top of my list for Sydney’s best tiramisus.
A new take on Italian dining
Spezia definitely carves out its own little niche in a hospitality scene saturated with Italian restaurants. The addition of spices helps to elevate the dishes and makes for a much more interesting dining experience than the usual bread, pasta, fish and meat you’d normally come across at an Italian dining destination.
The choice to serve Italian cuisine actually came from Bang’s impressions of the space and the courtyards at The Lands. He said as soon as he saw the venue, he had an overwhelming sense that it had to be an Italian restaurant.
“It’s a very popular cuisine in Sydney right now, but I don’t believe in doing something just because it’s popular,” he says.
“It was the space itself; it reminded me of visiting small Italian towns, where you walk around a corner and suddenly a piazza appears, where the community gathers over good food and wine.
Even though it was pouring with rain when we visited, it was easy to picture these courtyards buzzing on a sunny day, with guests sipping wine and sharing plates of pasta beneath the sun in the beautifully restored heritage setting.
You can also have a good look around the building, and enjoy the beautiful Italian Breccia Rosso honed marble, the Tangier red Venetian-finished bar and the wine-bottle-lined walls. If you’re looking for somewhere to celebrate a special occasion, Spezia certainly has the setting for it.
My final advice for a visit here? Don’t assume that the most expensive dishes will be the most memorable. The meats are delicious, but my favourite dishes were the oysters, eggplant, grissini and zucchini sedanini, which are on the more affordable side of the menu. Dining at Spezia is definitely on the more luxurious side, but the bill doesn’t have to be extortionate.
To book your table at Spezia or to find out more, click here.
