Esper Group, the family-owned business behind Surry Hills institution Mille Vini, has expanded into Sydney CBD, launching Rovollo on the ground floor of Harry Seidler’s iconic 25 Martin Place skyscraper.
Drinks Digest visited the intimate Italian restaurant and wine room during its opening week and fell in love with the 75-seat venue, which pays homage to the warm and atmospheric eateries of Italy.
Esper Group Director Andrew Wallace proudly shared details of the opulent design elements during our visit, which include a 10-metre-long, hand-painted mural on the ceiling, a calacatta gold marble bar, maroon and mustard banquettes and a dramatic Moya Delany pendant made from a repurposed parachute.
“We want the care and love we’re pouring into the venue to be felt by our guests, so that when they’re here they’re doing more than just consuming a meal,” he said.
“We want to take them on a journey where they feel welcome, know they will receive elevated, yet personal service, and create memories each time they visit.”
That attention-to-detail extends to Rovollo’s drinks menu, which features a 250-bottle wine list – with 25 by-the-glass options. Among our favourites were the Viberti Filebasse 2023 Chardonnay and the chilled Intrepido Cherry Picked Montepulciano.
As for the cocktail list, award-winning head of bars Alissa Gabriel takes guests on a journey through Italy.
We sampled the first cocktail on the list, the grappa-based Amalfi, a bright and citrusy drink that’s finished with a salted limoncello blue foam. Its fresh, sherbert-y flavour was balanced by flecks of sea salt.
There’s also the intriguing The Napoli, a freezer martini made with either vodka or gin, charred focaccia vermouth, burrata whey, basil and tomato oil, is umami-laced and lingers like the crackling heat of a wood-fired pizza oven.
The enticing menu by executive chef Cami Feliciano (ex-Seta) and head chef Zane Buchanan (ex-Clam Bar, Fish Butchery) focuses on technically complex, yet homely dishes.
Pastas are all handmade daily, with the signature dish – currently a pici carbonara – delivered to each table via a custom-made, walnut and brass trolley, set alight and tossed through a 20kg Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese wheel, before it’s served and topped with a freshly-cracked egg.
Buchanan says finishing off the pasta in the wheel adds another burst of flavour and creates a sense of anticipation for guests.
The dish is high on both theatre and flavour and a must try.
The menu also features a dedicated griglia – or grill – with a selection of large-format proteins, including a Riverine tri-tip, wagyu rump cap and 800g rotating steak.
For dessert, don’t miss the decadent 24-layer dark chocolate cake that comes with a warm rosemary-infused berry compote.
And if you’re in the mood for a cocktail to finish, try Rovollo’s elegant twist on a Negroni, the Firenze, with Italian bitter, vermouth, Bergamot Aperitif and gin, garnished with chocolate dipped dehydrated orange peel. Delicious!