Bar Allora

Overview

Milan in the 1980s was booming. Coinciding with a period of rapid economic growth, fashion houses like Armani, Dolce & Gabbana, Prada and Versace propelled the industrial city onto the world stage, transforming it into a glittering epicentre of design, culture and nightlife. It was a decade defined by confidence — the Milanese mastered the art of living fast and looking good.

It's this glamorous spirit — neon accents, terrazzo floors, mirrored brass and all — that pulses through Bar Allora, the all-day Italian bar and restaurant by award-winning operators The Maybe Group (Maybe Sammy, Dean & Nancy on 22) and Accor's new in-house hospitality arm, Table For. The big-time collaboration has a fittingly big-ticket location, set on the corner of Bond and George Streets at Mantra 2 Bond Street.

Taking its name from the Italian word 'allora', meaning 'back then', the venue nods to that golden era while reimagining it for today. Much like the city that inspired it, Bar Allora is fast-paced by day, and social and sultry by night. Pull up in the morning for espresso and cornetti from the bustling bar or street-facing window, or settle in for breakfast plates like the house frittata with stracciatella and salsa verde.

From midday, the tight all-day menu by Chef Rosy Scatigna (Table For's Culinary Director) and Head Chef Josh Donachie (Jane, Jacksons on George) takes over. Their dishes draw inspiration from Milan's post-war dining boom, when southern Italian migrants brought warmth and soul to the sleek northern city. Expect plates like spaghettone with anchovy butter and lemon pangrattato, swordfish cotoletta with blood orange and radicchio and gorgeously retro desserts like a chocolate and Campari tartufo.

As one might expect of a Maybe Group venue, cocktails are just as much of a focus as the food. The menu celebrates the art of aperitivo, with inventive takes on Italian classics: the Americanello mixes Campari and Oscar Rosso vermouth with lemon myrtle liqueur and mango soda, while the Allora Negroni's gin and Campari base is brightened with oloroso, pandan and pineapple. Later in the night, the after-dinner selection features playful pours like grasshoppers with salted pistachio cream and brandy- and whisky-spiked shakeratos. There's also a smart lineup of predominantly Italian wines, with many available by the glass.