Sunday Co. will open Vito’s, a new restaurant and bar inspired by the great dining rooms of mid-century New York, on 30 October inside the heritage-listed Burns Philp Building at 11 Bridge Street.
Vito’s captures the nostalgia and grandeur of the Italian-American dining scene. The menu celebrates elevated Italian classics: familiar dishes served with finesse and warmth. Made for long lunches, celebrations or a drink at the bar, Vito’s lets guests drop in for a bowl of pasta and a glass of wine, or settle in for the full experience of multiple courses, great bottles and a long night at the table.
“Vito’s has been years in the making, and every detail has been meticulously considered,” says Brett Sergeant, managing director, Sunday Co. “We set out to create a restaurant that feels like it’s always been here, and the Bridge Street site was a major part of that. “After 18 months of planning, designing and building, opening the doors is an incredibly exciting moment for us. Vito’s is the most ambitious thing we have done as a group. We want people to walk through those doors and know they are here to have fun and a memorable experience.”
The kitchen is led by executive chef Michael Fox (formerly chef de cuisine at Carbone, Hong Kong). The menu, designed by Fox and group culinary director, David Clarke, centres on handmade pastas, a significant wood-fired grill section and classic desserts by Lauren Eldridge. Sunday Co. has worked with premium Australian producers, including grass-fed Bass Strait beef from Gippsland, and heritage-raised Sommerlad chicken from Sun Farms. Seafood comes from Northside Seafood, with new-season wild-caught Skull Island tiger prawns, King George whiting and John Dory. From 10.30pm until late, Vito’s offers a bar menu and 18-inch New York-style pizza.
“Italian-American food is about generosity and comfort, but there’s real precision behind the classics,” says Michael Fox, executive chef of Vito’s. “We’ve spent months working with the best producers to source exceptional seafood and meat. Every dish on the menu is about respecting the food people know and love, while presenting them with care and refinement.”
Menu highlights include: beef carpaccio with truffle and hazelnut; conchiglie with crab and green garlic butter; the Vito’s signature 10-layer lasagne; scampi and scallop crudo with orange and capers; 1kg Prime Angus Porterhouse with Marsala sauce; and Kinross lamb loin chops with salmoriglio. To finish, desserts include Italian Cream Cake with coconut and black walnut; ricotta and pistachio cannoli; and Tricoloure Bombe Alaska. Antipasti dishes start from $14; pastas from $29; and dishes from the grill starting at $34.
The beverage program has been curated by group head sommelier, Antoine Heurtier. The menu features a 400-label wine list showcasing local and international producers. Wines include: 2021 Elena Walch Riserva Chardonnay, 2024 Quintarelli Bianco Secco & 2021 Elio Altare ‘UnoperUno’. The program is complemented by a classic cocktail list, including a Vito’s martini (Ford’s Gin, Tito’s handmade vodka, Cocchi Americano); 1985 Sidecar (Delord 1985 BAS Armagnac, Grand Marnier, Lemon); and Champagne cocktail (Charles Heidsieck Brut Reserve, Hennessy VS, and Angostura bitters)
Designed by Craig Madgwick of Design Madgwick, the 170-seat space is richly detailed, conceived as a longstanding New York institution that feels as though it has evolved over generations. Guests are welcomed into a custom mosaic entranceway with 24k gold-leaf tiling and Romanesque lantern and gas-filled neon lamps housed in aged brass. Inside, 21-foot heritage ceilings, custom geometric leadlight and six-foot chandeliers give the room its sense of scale, while a central dining floor is framed by raised, carpeted alcoves, grand booths and a mezzanine overlooking the room.
Vito’s design features have largely been made by local artisans and showcases rich red velvet, ox-blood leather, brass, marble and silk-shaded lamps that bring warmth and character. The joinery, the project’s largest commission, was made entirely in regional NSW and built independently of the heritage shell to preserve the original fabric of the building. That authenticity carries through to the tables, with custom Queensland Maple tabletops with American Maple burl veneer and brass inlay plates. Cutlery and styling pieces have been sourced predominantly from Italy, including hand-painted Ginori crockery from Sicily. The result is a room that is nostalgic: a restaurant that feels discovered rather than designed.
Vito’s joins Sunday Co.’s growing portfolio of Sydney CBD venues alongside Whalebridge and Morrison’s Oyster Bar and Grill, with the group set to open its next venue on the former Ursula’s site in Paddington in April 2027.
Vito’s will open on 30 October and reservations are open. Bookings will be available seven days a week for lunch and dinner, from 12pm until late, with walk-ins welcome.
