Italian pasticceria Mia Dolci Italiani to open in Alexandria

Recently departed Rockpool executive pastry chef Riccardo Falcone and Da Orazio chef Orazio D'Elia have long shared a dream of an authentic Italian pasticceria in Sydney.

In a fortnight it'll become a reality when the duo opens Mia Dolci Italiani in a part of Alexandria pioneered by The Grounds.

The setting might be industrial, but Mia Dolci is across the road from Sydney Park. "Hopefully we'll get a few dog walkers popping in after a walk," D'Elia says.

While the duo both grew up in Campania, they met in Sydney. They found themselves constantly talking about the ricotta-filled cannoli, delizia al limone and classic torta della nonna of their youth.

"In Australia we have bakeries on every corner. In our hometowns it is pasticceria. We decided we wanted to bring a piece of our heritage here," Orazio says.

The converted warehouse space (at 200 Euston Road) will mix Italian cake shop, chocolate shop, open pastry kitchen and cafe.

"Riccardo is a pastry guru," his new business partner says. And because Sydneysiders don't live on sweets alone, they'll add some focaccia and "Italian quiche" to the mix.

The location, at the crossroads of a major arterial, will also enable them to wholesale their sweets and desserts to Sydney restaurants.

"I can't say at the moment who is going to stock it, but I can tell you it'll be on my dessert menu at Da Orazio in Bondi," the chef says.