Stepping into Conte Sydney, you’d be forgiven for thinking you’d skipped the 21-hour flight and landed straight in a glamorous bar and restaurant in Italy. The new multi-level dining destination, located on Clarence Street in the CBD, is the sibling to Surry Hills’ stunner Bar Conte – the world’s first dedicated Negroni bar – by Italian-born Raffaelle Lombardi and his talented interior designer wife, Victoria Hampshire. If you’re a fan of Bar Conte, you need to check it out. And if you haven’t been to either, well, we suggest you change that – quickly.
Conte Sydney may have one of Sydney’s sexiest dining rooms – thanks to its lush red velvet curtains, Italian leather seats, rare and bold originals and prints from Rome and Milan, crisp white tablecloths and a blue-green marble bar. Guests can opt to dine in the restaurant’s dining area, on lush banquette seating, pull up a stool at the bar for a relaxed aperitivo, or head upstairs to the intimate tables. The mezzanine level is also where you’ll find three private dining rooms, available for groups of eight up to 60 standing guests.
Of course, Negroni lovers are in for a treat at Conte Sydney – like Bar Conte, there are more than 40 Negronis on the menu. Plus, expect an extensive list of Italian vermouth, amari and Italian gin, as well as a stellar, mostly Italian wine list curated by sommelier Marta Carruccio (ex-Bistro Rex). Feel like trying something new? The team offers a Negroni and Martini food pairing experience.
Lombardi says: “I have dreamt of this concept for the past 10 years. The Negroni is of course my drink of choice and has been since I was a young man growing up in Sorrento on the Amalfi Coast. It's the ultimate pre-dinner drink and pastime but there has always been more to Bar Conte in us.
“The venue’s popularity has completely blown us away, so the time felt right for a larger, ‘grown-up’ offering – realising the dream of a chic and contemporary dining and drinks space that we know Sydneysiders will want to visit as much as we do!” he adds.
The menu has been created by head chef and venue partner Steven De Vecchi, who’s supported by former LuMi Dining chef Giacomo Rilievo. Start with bouncy, house-made, olive oil-laced focaccia and marinated olives before moving to antipasti like fritto misto with n’duja mayo; and Wagyu tartare with persimmon, chives and parmigiano. Or settled in with a selection of Italian cheeses and soft, salty charcuterie.
Quality pastas – including pappardelle with a lamb ragù and pecorino – and premium cuts of meat, like the 1.2kg Fiorentina, round out the rest of the menu.
Want to take someone special for a romantic night out in Rome – without leaving Sydney? Leave the passport at home and beeline to 151 Clarence Street.
Address: 151 Clarence Street Sydney, 2000, NSW
Find out more and make a booking here.
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