Featuring: RAFI, Fontana, Bar Louise…

EVEN the most committed restaurant aficionados tend to restrict their going out activities during winter. But summer in Sydney almost begs you to eat out, especially on weekends. This year has seen an explosion of new restaurants and bars following the lockdown restrictions of the Covid-19 pandemic and month after month Mastercard SpendingPulse research has revealed that Sydneysiders have continued to spend up big in restaurants and hospitality venues.
I’ve long been a fan of Bopp & Tone and The Butler, operated by Applejack Hospitality, so my interest was piqued by the recent opening of the group’s latest venture – RAFI – in North Sydney. First off, it’s big. More than 300 patrons can spread themselves out in the open-air terrace, cocktail bar, restaurant, private dining room and The Arbor, a soaring glasshouse structure.
Seasonal and super-fresh defines the menu from Peruvian-born head chef, Matias Cilloniz, (ex-Central in Lima and 42 Grams in Chicago). A standout side dish is the crispy potatoes with cream, chives and sea urchin and for mains it’s hard to go past the dry-aged duck topped with plum and mustard leaves.
Applejack’s dynamic drinks duo, Lachy Storrock and Amandine Rouviere, have curated a top-class wine list and tap beer offerings. The expertly made cocktails have also found a ready audience with local workers from the large clutch of nearby office blocks. The interior comes courtesy of leading design company, Luchetti Krelle, from the large island bar through to the stone and marble floors and fabrics by Jimmy Pike, the famed indigenous artist. One of the best places to be this summer is on the sprawling outdoor terrace, filled with foliage, moody festoon lighting and shady umbrellas.
RAFI, 99 Mount Street, North Sydney; phone (02) 8376 2900.
People made the pilgrimage from all over Sydney to dine at Stanbuli, the Turkish eatery in Enmore which closed in April after a tenure of six years. Run by Ibrahim Kasif, Joe Valore and Elvis Abrahanowicz, the venue has been given an interior facelift and is re-born as Bar Louise, a must-visit tapas and wine bar. Valore and Abrahanowicz are still on board and have teamed with Ben Milgate, their Porteno Group business partner from Porteno, Wyno x Bodega and Bastardo.
The heritage 1950s hair salon exterior has been retained and co-owner Sarah Doyle has given the premises a colour makeover with yellow and terracotta-hued walls and pendant lamps. Marcelo Munoz from Porteno and Bastardo is in charge of the menu. Divided into three categories – vegetables, seafood and meat – diners can order char-grilled veggies, cuttlefish cooked in ink and house-cured meats and sausages from chorizo to morcilla.
The wines are reason enough to drop by at Bar Louise. Michael Nicollian, co-owner of the Continental Deli, has put together a globe-trotting list of bottlings from Spain, Italy and France. There’s also a tasty take on Sangria and Kalimotxo, the surprisingly enjoyable Spanish standard that mixes red wine with cola.
Bar Louise, 135 Enmore Rd, Enmore; phone (02) 8580 7380.

French restaurants and brasseries have sprouted like mushrooms in Sydney over the past year or two. Italian restaurants are now enjoying a strong revival. One of the best places to satisfy your culinary wanderlust is Fontana, run by the trio behind Don Peppino’s former pop-up in Paddington – Daniel Johnston, Ivey Wawn and Harry Levy.
Hearty Italian fare with a twist is the major lure. The focaccia is housemade and Johnston’s listings include polpette di sarde – Sardinian “meatballs”- and ceci e tria – the signature chickpea pasta from Puglia. Sebade – Sardinian puffs filled with ricotta and pecorino – are a much-ordered dessert.
Fontana, 133A Redfern St, Redfern; www.clubfontana.com.
Dan Pepperell, Mikey Clift and Andy Tyson are renowned for their work at French restaurants such as Hubert and Bistrot 916. But the trio have also built up a strong rep in Italian cuisine at Alberto’s Lounge and now Pellegrino 2000. The interior is a nostalgic mix of vintage photos, a gold and sienna colour scheme and deli items and the private dining room downstairs is lined with wine bottles.
On a recent visit, I tucked into a menu of artichoke alla Romana, chickpea and bottarga, fritto misto, prawn ravioli in a silky butter sauce, veal cotoletta and tiramisu. Everything was on point, especially the ravioli. The wine list is dominated by Italian wines, as it should be.
Pellegrino 2000, 80 Campbell St, Surry Hills; phone (02) 8593 0114.
Italophiles are also in for a rare treat at Enoteca Ponti, the former space filled by Monopole in Potts Point. Operated by the owners of nearby French favourite – Bistro Rex – Josh Dunne, Peter Curcuruto, Cristian Veterani and Leigh McDivitt – the decor honours the work of Italian star architect and interiors genius, Giovanni “Gio” Ponti.
Head chef, Aldo Farrani (ex-Shell House) mixes the traditional with the innovative with go-to dishes such as lasagne spring rolls with fermented chilli aioli and pappardelle with wild boar ragu. The wine list and cocktails are Italian-oriented from Soaves from the Veneto and Chiantis to the house Negroni.
Enoteca Ponti, 71A Macleay St, Potts Point; phone 0420 857 171.