The CBD has mega venues like Shellhouse and the Ivy. North Sydney had a shake-up when Etymon Projects opened an ambitious four-in-one earlier this year. Circular Quay took more than a few steps forward when Hickson House opened with its various restaurants and bars.
Sydney’s deathless love of foodie precincts knows no bounds. From Tramsheds to the upcoming Rosebery Engine Yards, but there’s something special about a building (or row) of restaurants all owned and operated by the same hospitality group. Not only does it allow for tighter quality control, but these mega venues unlock a level of imagination that wouldn’t be possible with just one or two concepts. They are the ultimate test for any hospitality group.
That’s why our attention has been pulled towards Newtown lately. Paisano & Daughters, the growing hospitality group behind Sydney’s beloved Continental Deli, is opening not one, not two, not three…but four new concepts—three restaurants and boutique accommodation—that promise to turn Australia Street into Newtown’s most exciting strip.
Paisano & Daughters’ founders—Elvis Abrahanowicz and Joseph Valore—elevated Sydney’s once-middling dining scene more than a decade ago with vibrant Argentinian grill Porteno. Michael Nicolian has done brilliant things over on Enmore Road with Bar Louise. And collectively, they’ve made Continental Deli one of the fixtures of Newtown’s dynamic dining scene. Few teams are as capable of handling three new restaurant openings simultaneously.
The head chefs for each venue are yet to be announced but they will reportedly all have fine dining backgrounds. The group has, however, appointed Lauren Eldridge Head of Pastry. She’ll be overseeing the desserts at each restaurant, which is exciting seeing as her experience has touched some of Australia’s best including Stokehouse in Melbourne and the acclaimed Berowea Waters Inn.
So, what are these new restaurants?
The new restaurants will occupy the three Federation-style terrace shops that flank Continental Deli, creating a row of upscale restaurants while the upper floors are converted to three boutique apartments, with a unique mini bar from the group.
An all-vegetarian restaurant, Flora, will open at 206 Australia Street in collaboration with the team at Loggerhead Coffee. The all-day kitchen will be brighened by buttery yellow tones and warm timber, offering a bright and vibrant space for guests to sit down to breakfast, lunch or dinner.
Mister Grotto is up next at 208 Australia Street, taking a turn into fresh seafood with an interior that, according to the group, feels stuck “somewhere between a boat and a fisherman’s cabin.” The 30-seater seafood bar will be a scene of freshly shucked oysters, thinly sliced crudo, and classic seafood dishes on a menu that’ll change each day according to the freshest produce.
Completing the trio of new restaurants is Osteria Mucca, a 50-seater with an old-school Italian pitch. “Mucca” means cow in Italian, paying homage to the site’s former life as a butcher. Family recipes and regional Italian classics should go down well here, especially since Newtown lacks a classic upscale Italian restaurant.
Australia Street Suites
The literal crown on top of these four restaurants will be Australia Street Suites, a long-gestating passion project for Paisano & Daughter. A trio of two-bedroom suites will give Newtown a much needed boost in rooms, given the famed inner-west suburb doesn’t yet have the flashy accommodations of inner-city locales like Surry Hills and Darlinghurst. This also means room service should be a unique offering with all the restaurants below, as well as a mini bar stocked by Continental Deli.
Flora, Mister Grotto, Osteria Mucca and Australia Street Suites are set to open in January 2025.
