The Ragazzi Team's Ambitious Palazzo Salato Arrives in the CBD with Old-World Charm and New-Age Wine

The Love Tilly Group has been championing small bars for years now, including via the tiny Love, Tilly Devine, which is hidden in a Darlinghurst back street; the CBD's Ragazzi, a haven for pasta and wine; and newer additions such as Spanish vermouth and snack bar La Salut. The accomplished hospitality crew has won over Harbour City hearts with its intimate and singular venues, and also landed several spots on our lists of Sydney's best bars and restaurants.

But now, the group has outgrown the cosy settings of its previous ventures, opening its most ambitious space yet: the 120-seat Palazzo Salato on Clarence Street. Announced back in March and now open within the YCK Precinct, this inner-city spot for all things pasta and wine is located in the heritage-listed former Redoak Boutique Beer Cafe building, and pulls inspiration from New York's Gramercy Tavern and the trattorias of Rome.

The expansive restaurant and bar features multiple spaces that are slowly being unveiled, starting with a walk-in-only bar overlooking Clarence Street, a lavish dining room and a 20-seat space dedicated to private bookings. Later in the year, you can expect a large bar and outdoor dining space to open underneath the current space with a separate entrance off Kent Street.

Food-wise, handmade pasta is at the core of the menu, as also proves the case with previous Love Tilly openings like Ragazzi and Fabbrica. Potato-stuffed scarpinocc, spanner crab mafaldine, and bottarga and egg yolk spaghetti alla chitarra each grace the menu alongside other less carb-focused highlights like blue-eye trevalla with pipis, flat-iron steak topped with salato butter, and raw black and white garlic tri-tip.

An impressive 600-bottle wine list has been curated to compliment the classic Ragazzi-style pasta menu, pulling together drops from across the world. Expect a wide span of varieties and blends, ranging from the expected through to vintage 60s and 70s amari, plus rare Italian wines, with 30-plus drops available by the glass at any one time.

"While we've previously focused on a single country's wines at each venue — for example Australian at Love, Tilly Devine and France at Dear Sainte Éloise — this one will, excitingly, be a lot more international," said Love Tilly Group's Matt Swieboda when the venue was first announced.

Inside, the heritage-listed space has been transformed with brass pendants, leather banquettes and luxe velvet backrests. Framed artwork and silk prints add a burst of colour, while the branding featuring otherworldly characters injects a playful touch to the restaurant.

The team has worked with an all-star team of designers and tastemakers to bring Palazzo Salato's lavish interior to life with illuminated signs, ceramic tiles, wine maps guiding you through what you're drinking and a Louis Wayling mural at the bar.

All of this combines into the logical next step for the award-winning venue group as it continues to expand without losing its charm.

Palazzo Salato is now open at 201 Clarence Street, Sydney. It operates 12pm–12am Monday–Friday and 4pm–12am Saturday.

Images: Nikki To for Buffet Digital.