Toppi Martin Place marks restaurateur Paola Toppi’s return to the CBD after more than 30 years in the biz. The industry veteran began her career in 1988 under her mother’s wing at the family’s Italian institution and longtime HQ for mid-week long lunches, Machiavelli. In 2016, she brought Neapolitan-style glamour to Rushcutters Bay with the launch of Bar M. And now, she’s bringing similar old-school polish to the new development on the corner of Macquarie Street across from the NSW Parliament with a schmick 30-metre-long eatery and bar sporting steel, sandstone, dark tones and splashes of burnt orange.
You probably won’t be heading back to the office, so begin the afternoon proceedings with a barrel-aged Negroni spiked with grappa in the cocktail lounge, partnered with a couple of antipasti and cicchetti (Venetian-style bar snacks). Then, hit the Pasta Bar for the likes of tagliolini with blue swimmer crab or signature duck ravioli slicked with brown butter, duck jus and sage. It’s all egg-yolk pasta made by hand in the open kitchen by a team of chefs from Naples. Hero proteins, such as spatchcock and Wagyu fillet, get the cacciatore and pizzaiola treatment in the Dining Room, complemented by a thoughtful Italian-focused wine list, seasonal Bellinis and a Tiramisu Martini to finish on a high note.
Italian restaurants are a dime a dozen in Sydney these days, but something we haven’t seen in quite some time is one that’s open very late. Toppi’s licence roars on till 2am, so if you still haven’t made it back to the office, you probably won’t be making it home anytime soon, either.
