Review: Rovollo is the new Italian restaurant in Martin Place that’s here to shake things up

We went to Rovollo in Martin Place to visit the brand-new, family-owned Italian restaurant where carbonara comes flambéed and cocktails are genuinely exciting.

Rovollo isn’t your average pasta-and-pour house. From the moment you step inside this opulent new arrival at 25 Martin Place, it’s clear you’re in for something more immersive, more refined and a little bit theatrical.

Created by Esper Group, the team behind Mille Vini in Surry Hills, Rovollo brings a fresh kind of Italian energy to the CBD. It is family-owned, which is a rarity in the city centre, when large hospitality groups are the norm. Esper Group director Andrew Wallace shared their aim with the new venue:

“Going out for lunch or dinner shouldn’t be transactional; it should be immersive. We want to give back to Sydney diners, by creating an atmosphere where people feel known, receive more than they expected and leave with memories that last well after they’ve walked out the door.”

He also referred to the string of sexual assault allegations several of Sydney’s large hospitality have faced in recent months, saying that Rovollo (and Esper) want to pioneer change in the industry. It was refreshing to hear the acknowledgement and it set the tone for the evening, which was warm, inviting and like dining at a small family-run trattoria in Italy – not a chic 75-seat restaurant in the heart of the CBD.

Decorated with golden marble, rich velvet tones, a ceiling mural you could get lost in and list of over 250 wines, it’s a restaurant for a long lunch turned cocktail-fuelled dinner.

But aesthetics aside, the food speaks loudest.

What we ate

As with any good Italian meal, ours kicked off with homemade focaccia. Pillowy and golden, it’s served with the “butter of the day” (ours was flavoured with anchovy and dangerously moreish).

From there, we moved through peperonata with whipped ricotta, each bite sweet and silky; briny-fresh Sydney rock oysters with a classic mignonette, and delicate yellowfin tuna crudo dressed with pickled tomato and bottarga followed shortly afterwards. If your budget allows for one dish only, get the tuna crudo. It’s heavenly.

Fioretto, a cauliflower cousin, came lightly battered and served with truffle ricotta topped with a pool of honey in the centre. Stir the honey into the ricotta for the full effect, and, paired with the crunchy fioretto, it’s earthy, a little bit floral and just the right amount of indulgence.

Rovollo’s signature dish is the pici carbonara. Arriving via trolley, it is flambéed in a 20kg wheel of Parmigiano Reggiano and finished with a golden yolk. It’s rich, smoky, perfectly al dente and very, very fun. Everyone’s phones came out to film the action; it’s a real showstopper.

A saffron risotto came next — silky and luxe with prawns and little pops of Avruga caviar — followed by the market fish, flaky and light with saffron emulsion, and a juicy F1 Wagyu rump cap, cooked to perfection and served with a classic red wine jus.

Dessert? It has to be the 24-layer dark chocolate cake. Tall, dramatic and served with a warm rosemary berry sauce, it’s as decadent as it sounds, and then some. Here’s everything we ate:

• Homemade focaccia with butter of the day
• Peperonata with whipped ricotta
• Sydney rock oysters with mignonette

• Yellowfin tuna crudo, pickled tomato and bottarga
• Fioretto, truffle ricotta and blossom honey

• Pici carbonara with pecorino, guanciale and a yolk
• Risotto with saffron, prawn and Avruga caviar

• Market fish with saffron emulsion
• F1 Wagyu rump cap MBS 6+ with red wine jus

• 24-layer dark chocolate cake with warm rosemary berry sauce

What we drank

Rovollo’s cocktail list isn’t just good, it’s conceptually brilliant. Each drink is inspired by an Italian region, and the flavours (and visuals) are stunning. As you read the menu, it goes from light, refreshing tipples at the top and extends down to the darkest drink.

I opted for the Milano. Inspired by Italy’s fashion and design capital, it’s described as sharp and stylish. Comprising cacao aged tequila, sharp citrus, grapefruit and strawberry, it’s a little like a Paloma. Served with a giant ice cube and luscious silky foam on top, it’s very easy to drink.

Other diners enjoyed the Amalfi, which is a fairly startling shade of blue but a deliciously refreshing drink, combining grappa with lemon zest and sea salt.

Later in the evening, we all indulged in the Firenze, the darkest of the drinks. Rovollo’s answer to the negroni, it’s an indulgent mix of Italian bitter, vermouth, bergamot aperitif and gin, topped with a slice of orange peel that’s coated in chocolate and sea salt. It’s like a dessert by itself, but even more perfect when paired with that 24-layer cake.

There’s a 250-bottle wine list too, heavy on Italian varietals and grower Champagne, with 25 available by the glass for those just popping in for an aperitivo.

The verdict

From the moment you walk in, Rovollo feels different. It’s not trying to be flashy or exclusive (despite the polished interiors and five-star polish) it’s aiming for connection. The service is warm and inviting, the food is bold without being overcomplicated, and the drinks are genuinely exciting. Whether you’re dropping in for a quick glass of Falanghina and some oysters on the verandah, or settling in for a full three-hour feast, Rovollo has range.

What sets it apart is the sense of generosity: in the portions, in the service and the attention to detail. It’s a place that wants you to stay a little longer and leave a little happier. And in a part of the city that can sometimes feel transactional and hurried, that feels like a small revolution.

Rovollo

Where: 25 Martin Place, NSW 2000. It’s located next to Gelato Messina.
Opening times: Monday–Friday 12pm to midnight; Saturday 4pm to midnight.

Bookings at rovollo.com.au, or try your luck walking in.