All summer long (which just kept rolling into May this year), we've been loving the long Italian lunches in the sunny courtyard of Totti's in Bondi. Big jugs of cordial, fresh pasta, grilled meats and those Neapolitan ice cream sandwiches have been a big Sydney vibe in 2019, and now you're about to get two bites at the cherry with news that Merivale is opening a second venue in the CBD this year.
It's part of a massive expansion announcement from the hospo giant, who has plans to open four new venues in the coming months. They're part of a rejuvenation effort for the laneways off George Street that house the Ivy, Bar Topa and Ash Street Cellar.
First cab off the rank will be Little Felix, a 60-seat cocktail bar serving charcuterie and cheese, connected to the French bistro Felix. They'll be introducing a new cuisine to the Merivale portfolio with a Lebanese eatery; getting summer ready with a Mexican eatery and bar; and then swinging open the doors on Totti's 2.0 for antipasto and wood-fired bread from Mike Eggert for more inner-city Italian times.
Hopefully these new venues will help give the CBD a bit of a jump start after the light rail construction put a dampener on the appeal of the precinct at night.
Need a drink now? Here are the best bars in the CBD for after-work hijinks.