World-famous Florentine sandwich shop All'Antico Vinaio has opened its first Australian venue at 50 Pitt Street in the Sydney central business district, bringing its viral schiacciata flatbreads to Circular Quay.
The new store marks a major overseas expansion for the family-owned Italian business, which sold more than 5.5 million sandwiches in 2025 across more than 60 international locations.
Founded more than three decades ago beneath Palazzo Vecchio in Florence, Italy, All'Antico Vinaio is famous for schiacciata, a traditional Tuscan flatbread baked with olive oil and salt until crisp on the outside and soft within. Founder and chief executive Tommaso Mazzanti has expanded the brand across Italy, France, North America, the Middle East, and now Australia.
The Sydney venue features window-side bench views of the Sydney Harbour Bridge and offers a menu of 15 schiacciate. Highlights include the Paradiso, stuffed with mortadella, stracciatella, pistachio pesto, and chopped pistachios, which has sold more than 250,000 units across Europe and the United Kingdom this year.
Florentine Sandwich Icon Lands in Sydney CBD
The Australian outpost also features an exclusive sandwich named the Sydney, filled with Papandrea's award-winning wagyu bresaola, parmesan, and rocket. Other offerings include the Boss and the Caprese.
Mazzanti's personal favourite is the Favolosa, made with Tuscan sbriciolona salami, pecorino cream, artichoke cream, and spicy aubergines.
"It reminds me of growing up in Florence and enjoying my first sandwich with my parents at our home," he said. "It's an iconic Florentine salami but it was so little-known before we started using it, that even people in Tuscany hadn't heard of it."
By 11am daily, a predominantly Italian team assembles the oversized sandwiches at speed while fresh schiacciata emerges from the oven. The venue keeps the secret behind its signature crust crunch strictly under wraps.
Much of the restaurant's inventory is imported directly from Italy, including flour, 16-month-aged Prosciutto di Parma, buffalo mozzarella, parmesan, and pecorino. Schiacciata is baked fresh on-site every day, creams and pesto are prepared in-house, and fresh produce is sourced locally.
Mazzanti partnered with MasterChef judge Andy Allen, alongside Jonny Stewart and Ali Mattar from Fladgate Hospitality Group, to bring the establishment to Australia. Allen first discovered All'Antico Vinaio while vacationing in Florence several years ago.
"The sandwiches are so simple and familiar, but it's the ingredients and attention to detail that has made the brand such a success," Allen said. "The quality is off the charts."
Steersons Steakhouse Completes Twenty-Year Transformation
Steersons Steakhouse on Sydney's King Street Wharf has unveiled a complete redesign and menu overhaul following 20 years of operation on Darling Harbour.
Second-generation owner George Vardis has taken leadership of the business, introducing a culinary philosophy centered around salt, fire, and water. Salt represents commitment to quality produce, fire signifies charcoal cooking, and water acknowledges the waterfront setting.
Architect Chris Kokkinis of Ergo Architecture redesigned the 120-seat indoor and outdoor venue, incorporating marble, timber, and natural elements to maximize harbour views.
"We're welcoming a new chapter and evolution for Steersons Steakhouse, building on two decades of heritage," Vardis said.
Executive Chef Thai Sams leads the kitchen, drawing on previous experience at Botanica, two-hatted Bentley Restaurant & Bar, and one-hatted venues Shelter, The Wolfe, and Restaurant Two. Sams applies classical Western techniques and Eastern flavours to a produce-led menu.
Starters include Sydney Rock Oysters with red wine shallot dressing, charred Fremantle octopus with salsa verde, and Spencer Gulf kingfish ceviche with confit fennel, charred orange, and pistachio.
The steak menu features premium Australian cuts including eye fillet, sirloin, rib-eye, flat iron, T-bone, and an exclusive Stone Axe bavette sourced locally through Vic's Meats. Guests can share a 500g O'Connor Ox grass-fed, MBS 2+ dry-aged steak served with a mustard flight, creamy mash, fennel salad, and crispy Brussels sprouts.
Seafood mains include butterflied Aquna Murray cod with tarragon butter and Chinderah Bay bugs with miso butter and native finger lime. Sommelier Eva Santaguida oversees the wine selection alongside cocktails, beers, and spirits. The restaurant also offers a dedicated kids' menu and express lunch options for the western CBD corridor.
Nelly Robinson to Open Coastal Venue NOA in Cronulla
Chef Nelly Robinson and partner Danielle Richards-Robinson will open a new restaurant called NOA in Cronulla this September, bringing a relaxed coastal concept to the beachside suburb.
Robinson previously operated Surry Hills restaurant NEL for more than 10 years, gaining prominence for theatrical degustation menus.
NOA departs from strict tasting menus by offering flexible dining options. Guests can order single dishes, select items from a Champagne and caviar trolley, assemble cheese boards in a dedicated wine room, or order an eight-course chef's selection.
"It's your experience. We simply help shape it," Robinson said.
The à la carte menu features bug toast, premium rib-eye, whole fish to share, Banoffee Trifle, liquid nitrogen fairy bread, and interactive seafood dishes. The venue contains two private dining rooms overlooking the ocean.
An adjoining oceanfront venue, Little NOA, will cater to walk-in beachgoers with burgers, snacks, and cocktails, with breakfast service added in October.
Robinson and Richards-Robinson, both Cronulla locals, created the dual venue to offer city-grade dining within their home community.
"We've always believed Cronulla deserved a restaurant experience that could sit alongside Sydney's best while still feeling completely local," Richards-Robinson said.
Grand Saddles Lodge Expands Mount White Precinct
Entrepreneur John Singleton is expanding the Saddles precinct in Mount White with The Grand Saddles Lodge, a luxury retreat located less than an hour from Sydney.
The development features 20 private villas set in native bushland. Each villa includes separate living spaces, an open fireplace, a private terrace, and an individual plunge pool, designed using sandstone, spotted gum, warm brass, and locally crafted elements.
The lodge restaurant will serve premium Australian seafood, organic beef, and poultry, utilizing herbs and vegetables grown on-site alongside a curated wine list.
The property includes Ned's, an Art Deco-inspired piano bar offering classic cocktails, live jazz, bar snacks, and a grand piano.
Wellness facilities comprise a day spa with five treatment rooms, traditional and infrared saunas, ice baths, and an infinity pool. Guests can explore nearby walking trails, oyster farms, and the Hawkesbury River.
The Grand Saddles Lodge joins the existing Saddles destination, which includes The Homestead at Saddles, previously named one of the World's Most Beautiful Restaurants by Condé Nast Traveller, as well as The Barn and The Caravan.
