There’s something stirring at Gowings. A little louder. A little looser. A little more… Italian.
A collision of coastal Italian soul and city heat arrives at Gowings, QT Sydney, with Dal Mare alla Città, where some of Australia’s most influential Italian culinary names step into the same kitchen for two one-night-only experiences that promise equal parts fire, flavour and a little chaos in the best possible way.
This isn’t your white tablecloth, behave-yourself kind of dinner. It’s a not-to-be-missed affair where the wine flows, the fire’s on full tilt and the kitchen hums with stories two decades in the making.
Gowings Executive Chef James Kidman will host two exclusive evenings, featuring a line-up of Italy’s most respected culinary names. On May 27, guests will experience dishes from Alessandro Pavoni (Ormeggio, a’Mare) and Giovanni Pilu (Pilu at Freshwater, Flaminia), followed on June 24 by Danny Russo (SALA Dining) and Richard Ptacnik (Otto Ristorante).
The series is built on long-standing friendships between chefs who have worked alongside one another for more than 20 years – across services, kitchens and late nights that helped shape the country’s contemporary Italian dining landscape. At Gowings, that shared history is turned up, set alight, and served as a live experience.
Each night presents a four-course shared menu, co-created by the chefs and designed to move between coast and city. Think handmade pasta with coastal crab and citrus bite, chargrilled steak kissed over open flame, seafood crudo and shellfish pulled from the market and treated simply, and Gowings-style indulgence layered with Italian restraint and swagger.
It’s food built to be passed across the table. Loud where it needs to be, simple where it matters, and always driven by fire, flavour and produce. And then, because Gowings rarely finishes quietly, a Braulio trolley rolls table-side after dinner, a final amaro-led moment to close out the night properly.
Executive Chef James Kidman said, “These are chefs I’ve known for a long time – through kitchens, services, and all the chaos that comes with it. There’s a shared language there. When we cook together, it’s instinctive. It’s relaxed, a bit competitive, and genuinely fun. That’s what makes these nights special.”
Each evening is priced at $170 per person, inclusive of four courses and paired wines, with Campari cocktails on arrival.
