Vito's Opens 30 October in Sydney's Burns Philp Building

Sunday Co. will open Vito's, an Italian-American restaurant and bar, on 30 October inside the heritage-listed Burns Philp Building on Bridge Street, Sydney — the group's most ambitious project to date after 18 months of planning, designing and building.

The venue is modeled on the grand dining rooms of mid-century New York. Guests can drop in for a bowl of pasta and a glass of wine or settle in for multiple courses, with service seven days a week for lunch and dinner, from 12pm to late. Walk-ins are welcome, and reservations are open now. From 10.30pm, the restaurant shifts to a bar menu built around 18-inch New York-style pizza.

Who runs the kitchen and what's on the menu?

Executive Chef Michael Fox, formerly of Carbone in Hong Kong, designed the menu with Group Culinary Director David Clarke. It centers on handmade pastas, a significant wood-fired grill section, and classic desserts by Lauren Eldridge.

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
• Kinross lamb loin chops with salmoriglio

Desserts include Italian cream cake with coconut and black walnut, ricotta and pistachio cannoli, and tricolour bombe Alaska.

How does sourcing anchor the concept?

The sourcing program leans on named premium Australian producers: grass-fed Bass Strait beef from Gippsland, heritage-raised Sommerlad chicken from Sun Farms, and seafood from Northside Seafood, including wild-caught Skull Island tiger prawns, King George whiting and John Dory.

Fox said Italian-American food is about generosity and comfort, but with real precision behind the classics. "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," he said.

What does the beverage program look like?

Group Head Sommelier Antoine Heurtier curated a 400-label wine list spanning local and international producers. The cocktail list includes the Vito's martini with Ford's Gin, Tito's handmade vodka and Cocchi Americano; the 1985 Sidecar with Delord 1985 BAS Armagnac, Grand Marnier and lemon; and a Champagne cocktail with Charles Heidsieck Brut Reserve, Hennessy VS and Angostura bitters.

Where does this fit in Sunday Co.'s expansion?

Brett Sergeant, managing director of Sunday Co., said Vito's has been years in the making and every detail has been meticulously considered.

"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," Sergeant said. "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."

Vito's joins a portfolio that includes Morrison's Oyster Bar and Grill in the Sydney CBD and Whalebridge at Circular Quay. Sunday Co. has already confirmed its next move: a venue on the former Ursula's site in Paddington, set to open in April 2027.