Sella Vinoteca joins wave of Italian restaurateurs opening across Sydney

Restaurateur Fabio Dore has joined a growing army – which marches under a red, white and green flag – launching a restaurant offensive across Sydney.

If the COVID-19 crisis has taught us anything, it's that there is still confidence in Italian food and plenty of pluck from Italian operators in leading a restaurant revival.

Marcella Nelson-Aebi is weeks away from opening Calabria on Abercrombie Lane in the city, Maurice Terzini is plotting a new venue a few blocks away near Australia Square, Il Baretto opens at the Paddington Inn on October 9, and it is no coincidence the Porteno crew has chosen as their next project an Italian restaurant, Bastardo, which opens in Surry Hills in early October.

Sydney has long had a love affair with Italian food. Dore, who propelled Popolo restaurant at Rushcutters Bay before taking his brand of Italian food to Balmain at One Ford Street, is opening Sella Vinoteca this month at the Newmarket development on Barker Street in Randwick.

The venue will pay homage to his childhood spent on his family's vineyards in Sardinia. Part wine bar, part cellar door-style bottle shop, the food sounds promising with Marco Masotti, the former head chef of A Tavola, joining the new venue.

With Baccomatta Osteria a neighbour, Dore has broadened the food brief. "There'll be some Italian dishes, but the menu will also take in food from across the Mediterranean."