Ali Mousavi's father owned Italian restaurants for more than 40 years, so it's no surprise that his new Chapel Street venture continues the family tradition. Found on the corner of Grosvenor Street and Chapel Street, Stella is a four-storey dining experience that delivers an Italian food philosophy with a modern Australian twist, with an ambience to match.
Named after Ali’s daughter, Stella is all about creating a neighbourhood-local feel with an underlying hint of elegance. Each level of the venue has been thoughtfully designed, offering a unique experience across all – from an intimate private dining room in the basement cellar to the ground floor and first-floor dining areas adorned with velvet seating, right up to the sunlit and garden-filled rooftop, there’s something for all occasions and atmospheres.
Head Chef John Park (Ines Wine Bar, Vue de Monde, 400 Gradi) is responsible for the contemporary menu, featuring Ali’s father’s secret pizza crust recipe that has been refined over the past four decades and pizzas made in the signature Mariana Forni pizza oven. There’s no shortage of regionally-inspired share plates, with a tangy kingfish crudo served with a buttermilk lime dressing, green olives and chives, and a plump burrata ripe for the bursting on Stella's signature grilled sour bread with a generous smattering of pesto dressing and pangratatto. If you’re feeling like a particularly special meal, you can’t go past the T-bone steak with mustard, horseradish and black lava salt.
To accentuate the Italian-leaning menu, you can expect an extensive list of local and Italian wines, plus plenty of alternative sips to suit after-work tipples, rooftop cocktails in the sun or a post-pasta nightcap.
Finn Warnock from SUM Design worked closely with Ali to see his vision come to life, with ambient colours and elegant materials used to elevate the heritage-listed 1870s building. “Stella is a contemporary interpretation of a vibrant and traditional Italian trattoria with the circular pizza bar on the ground as the heart of the restaurant," says Mousavi. "Like any true kitchen, it’s where you naturally gravitate, and this is the energy that will flow into the rest of the venue.”
What’s unique about Stella is the flexibility of the space. You can start your evening in the cocktail lounge, make your way to the dining room for dinner and end the night on the star-lit rooftop, watching the world go by with a drink in hand.