Pasta Shop

Overview

One of Sydney's most influential dishes from one of its longest-running Italian restaurants is back on the menu, this time in a smaller, more casual setting.

Giovanna Toppi built Machiavelli into a mainstay of the CBD dining scene after opening in 1988. Known for its white tablecloths and regular stream of politicians, executives and media figures, the restaurant closed after more than three decades of service. Now, one of its best-known dishes, spaghetti Machiavelli, has resurfaced at a new venue from Giovanna's daughter, Paola Toppi.

Pasta Shop, a casual 35-seat diner, has taken over the former Sonora site on the corner of Bayswater Road and Ward Avenue in Potts Point. The shift in tone is immediate: walnut tables and terracotta director's chairs replace formal table settings, and the menu keeps every dish under $30.

Toppi, who spent three decades cooking alongside her mother, has built the offering around a tight list of 11 pastas, including the original spaghetti Machiavelli (a butter-based dish with prawns, mushrooms and chilli) alongside rigatoni alla vodka, gnocchi gorgonzola, and lasagne. There's also polpette with sugo, salads, focaccia and classic desserts like tiramisu and cannoli.

The move marks a clear departure from Machiavelli, with a focus on a more accessible, everyday style of dining. It's reflected not just in pricing, but in format: there's a takeaway window built into the venue, and the full menu is available for delivery across the Eastern Suburbs.

To support that, Toppi has spent the past two years developing custom takeaway bowls designed to prevent pasta from overcooking in transit, a practical detail that underpins the broader shift towards at-home dining.

The drinks list follows suit. You'll find a short rotation of Italian wines, Sardinian beer and bottled soft drinks, alongside pre-batched cocktails from Maybe Sammy. As if that wasn't enough, BYO is also available.