Overview
Bondi's beloved Da Orazio has landed in Rushcutters Bay, but this time it's trading woodfired pizza for regional Italian cooking. With a daily aperitivo hour, a strong beverage program and a warm and welcoming dining room, Trattoria Da Orazio is set to become a new neighbourhood hangout.
Chef Orazio D'Elia, born and raised in Naples, learnt his skills and love for Italian cuisine by watching his nonnas cook. With his grandmothers located in separate regions around Naples, D'Elia developed a deep appreciation for different regional cooking styles, which he now intends to explore at Trattoria Da Orazio.
The new location has special significance for D'Elia, who worked as head chef in the same spot when it housed Popolo. Following his time at Popolo and many other acclaimed kitchens across Sydney, he went on to open the first iteration of Da Orazio on Hall Street in 2014. Following several transitions, he reopened the location in 2022 and went on to expand the brand by opening Da Orazio Pasticceria in Alexandria.
"This is a real pinch-me moment. The journey to opening the doors of Trattoria Da Orazio has been a labour of love. To create my own menu and design a space from start to finish in the site where I found my voice as a chef, is a dream come true. Each dish has been inspired from my childhood in Italy and my travels to and from as a young chef, and more recent trips with my family," says D'Elia.
D'Elia is not transporting his famed wood-fired pizza to Rushcutters Bay, but instead will serve a menu mirroring a classic trattoria format: cured, aged, and preserved snacks, antipasto, primi piatti, secondi, and, finally, dolci, of course. A large charcoal grill centres the kitchen, bringing charry, deep flavours to his meats and seafood.
"There's so much on the menu I'm excited for — the salumi 'Ndujella, made especially for the Trattoria, that mixes mortadella and 'nduja, the passata I made with our tomato farmers in the NSW Southern Highlands, and my favourite childhood dessert, a mini platter of pastries," D'Elia says.
Between 4 and 5.30pm daily, aperitivo hour brings coastal Italian vibes with complimentary snacks, cool drinks, and a vintage Italian fishing boat displaying daily seafood specials. Come the weekend, find Da Orazio Pasticceria pop-ups and a Sunday ragu special, set to become part of locals' routines.
Designed by Andrian Condina Design Studio, the 80-seat venue, anchored by a large marble-topped, walnut and brass bar, will draw guests in with warm tones of green, brown and butter yellow, and glowy Gino Sarfatti lights, and a well-worn heirloom dining table will encourage diners to linger longer with another snack, another drink, and more convivial conversation.
Images: Jason Loucas.
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