Osteria Luna
A moody underground osteria serving Italian classics with a touch of red-sauce swagger.
Overview
Tucked beneath sibling venue The Charles Brasserie & Bar in an art deco building on King Street, Osteria Luna channels the moody energy of an old-school red-sauce Italian joint — the kind where the Rat Pack and their hangers-on lingered over martinis and plates of pasta — but reframed through a contemporary Sydney lens. The 106-seat room is draped in velvet, lit like a late-night movie scene and built for long lunches and after-hours rendezvous.
Designed by Tom Mark Henry, the underground space layers burgundy velvet curtains, terracotta stone, blue leather booths and moiré wallpaper. A two-person performance stage adds to the sense of occasion, while two private dining rooms, including a terracotta-tiled wine room, further dial up the intimacy.
Steven Woodburn
In the kitchen, Executive Chef Billy Hannigan (The Charles) and Head Chef Peter Fiander (Ragazzi, Letra House, Eleven Barrack) keep things anchored in Italian simplicity while borrowing the swagger of those classic Italian–American haunts. Signatures include the dramatic Piatto di Pasta — a single sheet of ravioli stuffed with mushrooms finished with brown butter — alongside spicy vodka conchiglie al forno served in a retro silver dish, pipis olio e aglio (an ode to the favourite order of Ol' Blue Eyes himself) and a golden veal cotoletta.
Tableside caprese with seasonal tomatoes adds a touch of theatre, while the crudo bar turns out fresh seafood lifted with lemon, horseradish and capers. At lunch, a show-stopping muffaletta layered with cold cuts, cheese and a zingy olive salad on fresh Sicilian sesame bread takes centre stage.
Steven Woodburn
To drink, sommelier Maxime Bellon's wine list champions Italian varietals and Australian expressions, while the signature cocktail, Frankie's Rusty Nail, tips its hat to Sinatra once more. Throughout the day, a silver bell rings out to announce complimentary frozen limoncello coupes gliding through the room.
Come 10pm from Thursday to Saturday, the osteria slips into a late-night mode worthy of any self-respecting red-sauce joint — the soundtrack shifts from vinyl-spun Italo disco and vintage lounge to Rat Pack-era classics as the night deepens, matched by waitstaff swapping crisp white jackets for burgundy velvet. And while the full à la carte menu runs until 1am, there's also a tidy late-night selection featuring an Italian meatball burger with provolone and sugo, plus a richly sauced shared pasta that turns late-night supper into something a little more cinematic.
Steven Woodburn
Images: Steven Woodburn.
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