Ascending the steps and passing through the glass front of Gaden House feels like stepping into another era — one of big, confident dining rooms where the service is crisp, the wine list deep and the food unapologetically generous. Gran Torino is Neil and Samantha Perry's contemporary ode to that golden age, pairing old-world glamour with classic Italian flavours and signature Perry precision across two floors of Double Bay's modernist marvel. A marvel at adapting and evolving to suit his customer's needs and desires, Perry has now reimagined the ground street level of Gran Torino into The Bar. The relaxed and approachable space showcases crowd-pleasing wines by the glass, share-style plates, and an easygoing atmosphere made for dropping in however you want, whenever you want. Drop by after work for a crisp and refreshing glass of white, while snacking on Sicilian green olives, tuna croquettes with roast pepper crema, and tuna crudo with pereronate. Or, pop in for a pre-dinner cocktail and sample Perry's fried olives stuffed with veal and parmesan, and chickpea fritters with lemon. Or make a night of it with a bottle, and share more substantial plates such as prawn ravioli with burnt butter, maccergone with beef, onion and pancetta ragu, or a minute steak with Tuscan beans and tarragon salsa. Upstairs in the main restaurant, the menu champions seasonality and quality, spotlighting some of the country's most respected producers. It draws on the traditional Italian emphasis on fresh, market-driven ingredients, with antipasti like Mishima carpaccio with marinated mushrooms and horserafish, Burraduc Farm buffalo mozzarella with artichoke caponata, and vitello tonnato with hand-rolled grissini. Handmade pastas might include pumpkin, walnut and sage tortelli, and taglioni with crab, garlic and chilli, while mains range from Coral Trout with pea vignole, parmesan-crumbed veal cotoletta, and a hefty 800-gram dry-aged ribeye. Desserts, kept classic and classy, channel the same confident simplicity. The food is matched with a deep, globetrotting wine program. Alongside a strong showing from Italian and Australian makers, there are bottles from Europe, South Africa and the Americas, plus a champagne list that spans both established houses and emerging makers. Gran Torino's dining spaces, brought to life by longtime Perry collaborators Collette Dinnigan and Earl Carter, feature more than 50 photographs — including many black-and-white images from the 1950s and 60s — lining the dark wood walls and playing nicely against the space's chrome accents. It's a space made for long lunches and lingering dinners, whether in the main dining room, The Bar, or on the al fresco terrace overlooking Bay Street. [caption id="attachment_1017636" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Yusuke Oba[/caption] Top images: Yusuke Oba.
