Family-run Esper Group has opened the doors to Rovollo, an intimate 75-seater Italian restaurant and wine room in 25 Martin Place alongside the likes of Kazan, Aalia, and The International.
Each element of the diner has been carefully considered, from the hand painted ceiling and calacatta gold marble bar to the handmade pastas and intricate cocktail menu, according to Esper Group Director Andrew Wallace.
“We want the care and love we’re pouring into the venue to be felt by our guests, so that when they’re here they’re doing more than just consuming a meal,” says Wallace.
“We want to take them on a journey where they feel welcome, know they will receive elevated, yet personal service, and create memories each time they visit.”
Executive Chef Cami Feliciano (ex-Seta) and Head Chef Zane Buchanan (ex-Clam Bar, Fish Butchery) have created a menu that highlights dishes “that seem simple, but are quite hard to get right,” according to Buchanan.
“Great Italian food is about letting exceptional ingredients speak for themselves,” he says.
“We work with high-quality producers and make everything in-house, using traditional techniques.”
Starters include homemade focaccia, arancini, beef tartare, fried burrata, a selection of meats, and a mixed seafood tower with Sydney rock oysters, market fish sashimi, prawns and crabs. Pastas include spaghetti vongole with chilli butter and zest, and the signature pici carbonara, which is tossed through a 20-kilogram Parmigiano Reggiano cheese wheel and served tableside. Mains include Riverine tri-tip, wagyu rump cap and 800g rotating steak and finally, a decadent 24-layer chocolate cake concludes the menu.
Head of Bars Alissa Gabriel (ex-House Made Hospitality) has joined with a wealth of experience opening venues under her belt; Rovollo marks Gabriel’s 15th opening. The bartender has curated seven cocktails designed to take guests on a journey through Italy. The grappa-based Amalfi is bright, citrusy, and finished with salted limoncello blue foam; meanwhile, the Napoli is a freezer martini (vodka or gin are available) with charred focaccia vermouth, burrata whey, basil, and tomato oil.
Among the 250-bottle wine list there are 25 by the glass wine options with a range of Italian and local varietals.
Rovollo is open from midday to midnight Monday to Friday, and from 4pm to midnight on Saturdays.
Photography by Nshot Creative.