Orazio D’Elia has devised a new menu and refreshed and expanded the interiors in a major makeover of his restaurant Da Orazio.
When the popular Bondi restaurant originally opened in 2014 as Da Orazio Pizza + Porchetta, it quickly became favoured for its namesake offerings. D’Elia sold his share of the restaurant in 2018, and his business partner Maurice Terzini (Icebergs Dining Room & Bar) replaced it with Cicciabella in 2019.
D’Elia returned to the venue in 2022 and in the two years since, the team evaluated what customers came to the restaurant for and developed the new menu and space in line with guest desires.
“This is the next step in our journey since reopening Da Orazio in 2022 and is something I always envisioned since opening the first Da Orazio in 2014,” says D’Elia.
The large-scale renovation saw Da Orazio take over part of the neighbouring venue, which has since been turned into a private dining area for 14-20 people and extra restaurant seating. The venue now seats 140, up from the original 90.
Terracotta floors, fresh white paint, banquette window seating, and blonde timber tables – some made with custom Italian tiles – embellish the updated space, hinting at Italian summer aesthetics. The bar has also been extended, now sweeping three metres along the restaurant.
There are now three set menus to accommodate differing budgets ($85/$105/$145pp) and an updated a la carte menu. The base menu includes Orazio’s classic dishes including roasted porchetta and pizzas; the mid-tier option includes fritto misto with chilli aioli, a 1kg Bistecca alla Fiorentina, and decadent tiramisu; and the premium menu includes the likes of individual-serve linguine with Western Australian scampi and signature pistachio maritozzo.
Classics remain on the a la carte menu, including the crowd favourite porchetta focaccia and the spicy vodka rigatoni.
The drink list includes approachable Italian wines, a selection of espresso martinis, and frozen cocktails made with an ice shaver imported from Japan.
The restaurant is open daily from 5pm and also for lunch on weekends.
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