Sydney's Fratelli Fresh to Open Their First Melbourne Restaurant

Melbourne, Sydney's favourite providore is coming your way — armed with dry-aged T-bone Florentina, Venetian doughnuts and house-churned gelato. Yep, we're talking Fratelli Fresh, the original gurus of fresh produce and authentic Italian goodness from up north.

With five restaurants currently operating in Sydney, the Fratelli folks haven't settled for just any old place for their Melbourne debut. They're arriving with a bang, having taken over the stunning, two-storey, heritage-listed building in Alfred Place that was most recently inhabited by Stokehouse City. The expansion down south comes just a few months after the Fratelli Fresh chain was bought by the Urban Purveyor Group.

On the ground floor, you'll find Fratelli Fresh's famous red and white décor. Nab yourself a seat at the marble-topped pizza counter and wait for your 48-hour, naturally-fermented, hand-stretched, thin-crust pizza to emerge from the wood-fired oven. Alternatively, hang out in the laneway with a friend and order the signature abbacchio alla Romana, which is Roman-style lamb on the bone with parmesan crust. Or you can always go with some antipasti or pasta, the wood-grilled fish or the aforementioned t-bone. Dessert will include Fratelli's famed tiramisu, and that's really all you need to know.

The menu is wallet-friendly too, with more than 25 dishes for under 20 smackaroos and a six-course banquet for $55. Swing by during aperitivo hour between 3pm and 6pm, for $5 wine, beer and spirits, and $10 spritzers and Negronis.

A photo posted by Fratelli Fresh (@fratellifresh) on Oct 12, 2015 at 4:46pm PDT

But that's not all. Up the spectacular staircase, on the first floor, you'll find another Sydney export: The Cut Steakhouse. Sink into an ocean-green leather banquette and take your pick of ten beef cuts from five fancy, fancy farms. Extra posh cuts include Cape Grim's 36-month grass-fed beef, Black Market's 270-day grain-fed beef from the Rangers Valley, John Dee's 150-day grain-fed scotch fillet and a full-blood wagyu from Robbins Island. Match 'em with one of eight sauces and your pick of ten sides, including buttermilk onion rings and slow-roasted leeks. Meanwhile, in The Cut's bar, The Library, you'll be exploring a 300-strong, international wine list, more than 80 whiskies, a slew of craft beers and a bunch of signature cocktails.

To celebrate this mammoth double opening,  the two restaurants will also be running a giveaway in the funnest way possible — by dropping teeny-tiny prize-bearing parachutes from the building's rooftop. Fifty parachutes — containing prizes from free coffee for a week and pizzas for year, to dinners, lunches and bar tabs — will be dropped from 7 Alfred Place from 4.30pm this Friday, July 15. Start practicing your catching skills.

Fratelli Fresh and The Cut Steakhouse will open this Friday, July 15. For more info, visit fratellifresh.com.au/the-alfred and thecutbarandgrill.com/melbourne.