Vin-Cenzo's
This neighbourhood Italian by the Bar Copains crew transforms into a late-night supper club on weekends, staying open until 2am.
Overview
For decades, the corner of Liverpool and Yurong streets in Darlinghurst has been home to some of Sydney's most beloved Italian restaurants. In the 1980s, eastern suburbs glitterati rubbed elbows at Tre Scalini, which spearheaded the recession-era move to pared-back trattoria-style dining. In 2019, the space became Bar Vincent, a cosy but polished neighbourhood Italian that shuttered in June 2025. And for its third act, 174 Liverpool Street has been reborn as Vin-Cenzo's, the latest opening from The Goodies Hospitality (Bar Copains, Bessie's, Alma's). This next chapter keeps the Italian spirit alive while adding a late-night twist, with the restaurant open for lunch and dinner Tuesday to Saturday, and transforming into a weekend supper club that runs until 2am.
In the kitchen, Nathan Sasi (ex-Nomad, Mercado, Adelaide's Leigh Street Wine Room) takes a produce-driven approach that adds clever Euro spins to Italian classics. Start with the likes of flame-licked scampi dressed simply in chilli, garlic and Sicilian oregano, a selection of salumi served alongside giardiniera and grissini or an umami-laden bite of zucchini flower with five cheeses that's topped with an anchovy. Mains include handmade pastas like a roast chicken- and mortadella-packed agnolotti in an aromatic brodo, while mains are hearty and homely — think veal t-bone with shimeji mushroom and marsala and a house-made pork belly sausage with lentils and quince mustard. Desserts lean nostalgic but bold, with burnt lemon tart, pig fat cannolo packed with ricotta and Sicilian almonds, as well as traditional Italian biscuits served in vintage tins, inspired by recipes from Sasi's Sicilian godmother.
Jason Loucas
On the drinks side, group sommelier Ishan Kaplish (ex-Mimi's, Tetsuya's) has assembled a list rich in Italian, French and Australian drops, interspersed with rare vintages from Co-Owner Morgan McGlone's personal cellar. Cocktails are classic and Italian-leaning, with bottled negronis and sgroppinos with house-made sorbet among the signatures.
Fans of Bar Vincent's pared-back neighbourhood vibe should like what Studio Gram has done with the place, reimagining the interiors to suit the late-night vibe but keeping the same feeling of low-lit intimacy. There's a nod to New York's red-sauce dining rooms, with tiled floors, warm wall sconces and hand-painted wall art paired against burgundy leather banquettes and walnut timber finishes. Perhaps the most dramatic change is the increase in seating capacity, which has jumped from 36 to 68 pax, thanks to the addition of a leafy new al fresco area on Liverpool Street set aside for walk-ins.
Top images: Jason Loucas.
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