Neptune’s Grotto, an underground Italian restaurant from the three musketeers behind icons Bistrot 916 (RIP), Clam Bar and Taylor Swift’s fave Sydney restaurant, Pellegrino 2000, opens tonight, Tuesday, November 19. Found underneath Clam Bar on the corner of the CBD’s Young and Bridge Streets, the diner is said to be “a love letter to the quiet luxury of northern Italian cooking and hospitality.” Come for handmade pastas, eclectic takes on classic Italian cocktails, and, if it’s anything like the other three hits, a whole lotta fun.
Chefs Dan Pepperell and Mikey Clift are behind the menu, which will spotlight regional specialities such as cotoletta alla panna.
“There is just nothing better than, say, a perfectly stuffed tortellini,” says Pepperell. “The care it takes to make, you can really taste it.”
The food will be backed up by a strong vino list by sommelier Andy Tyson, featuring top Italian drops – including a shipment of old Barolos that have arrived from Piedmont – alongside quality Champagne.
“After a quick trip through Piedmont and Emilia-Romagna last year, I have been itching to list some of the truly iconic producers,” says Tyson. “It’s very exciting for me.”
With low lights, New York-style booths and a long marble bar, Neptune’s Grotto will be moody and sexy – perfect for late-night Negronis and bowls of luscious pasta. To the Grotto we go.
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