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✍️ Time Out Sydney never writes starred restaurant and bar reviews from hosted experiences – Time Out covers restaurant and bar bills, and anonymously reviews, so that readers can trust our critique. Find out more, here.
The vibe
The anticipation for what’s to come at Gran Torino builds as my husband and I join the queue of reverent diners waiting on the footpath for the clock to tick over to 6pm. We chat to a couple of foodie tourists from Toowoomba who are here for the weekend to dine at Margaret and Gran Torino. And a couple from Parramatta who pulled up in their Lambo, dressed to the nines. Our table is on level two of the heritage-listed Gaden House, and the speed at which the 130-seat restaurant fills up tells me chef Neil Perry’s decision to pivot away from Cantonese restaurant Song Bird to Italian has met with diners’ demands. I admire Perry’s pluck. Rather than tearing the venue apart, he took a pragmatic, sustainable approach – both economically and environmentally – and rebooted the restaurant within a week.
Longtime collaborator Collette Dinnigan handled the reset with restraint – a few nips and tucks, softer lighting, walls that resemble a sheet of pasta cut for rounds of agnoletti. It’s clear from the strains of Dean Martin crooning ‘There’s My Lover’ when we take to our table that the acoustics have also been sorted. Although the look of the restaurant hasn’t changed all that much, it’s easy to imagine you’re in a far-off osteria in Florence. That’s until Neil Perry strides through the dining room, tugging us back to Sydney’s Eastern Suburbs. Heads swivel and conversations soften as this titan of the industry stops at a table by the window to greet one of his regular customers before continuing on. There’s not a single person in the room that doesn’t recognise the celebrated chef. But he doesn’t appear to be looking for recognition; he’s just quietly going about his business, with a minimum of fuss. It’s all about confidence, baby. And that extends to the team of wait staff, who hail from around the globe. While AI might be coming for white-collar jobs, the friendliness of the staff and warm service are the antithesis of robotic.
The food
The menu, designed by Neil Perry alongside executive chef Richard Purdue (ex-Rosetta) and head chef Ervin Mumajesi (Margaret), is unapologetically Italian – and a celebration of the highest quality ingredients from the country’s best producers and suppliers. Slices of buttery bigeye tuna are kicked into gear by a punchy salsa verde, while summer-bright sugar plum tomatoes are simply perfect with Burraduc Farm buffalo mozzarella, all drizzled in olive oil and speckled with salt, pepper and oregano.
The fact we are still talking about the frutti di mare weeks after dining at Gran Torino speaks volumes about the antipasti freddi (cold appetiser), which comprises king prawns, curled like commas on the plate, slim ribbons of delicate, slippery squid, blue swimmer crab flecked with parsley and a carefully prepared tuna crudo. It’s smart and simple, with the presentation pared-back. It’s straight from the Perry playbook: seafood that is easily identifiable and tastes of itself – and my Dish of the Decade.
We bypass pasta, cotoletta and bistecca for roast lamb, and again, it doesn’t need much help, its rich flavours enhanced with garlic, rosemary and a little salt. We order the rocket and parmesan and mixed leaf salad to cut through the mouth-smackingly rich lamb. The rocket is peppery; the mixed leaf salad drizzled – not drenched – in a dressing so delicate I could drink it. Our experience is rounded out by a pistachio cannoli, gone in just a few bites, delivering a touch of nostalgia for anyone (like me) who grew up in an Italian-Australian household.
Drinks
The modern Italian restaurant and bar is big on Bellinis, Martinis and bitter vermouths, alongside Campari and Aperol. There are also seasonal cocktails like the Starward Highball and Limoncello Spritz. The wine list skews Italian with a line-up of great producers from Europe, South Africa and the Americas. The sommelier recommends a glass of 2025 Grosset ‘Margaret’ Riesling from SA’s Clare Valley as a nice crisp counterpoint to the frutti di mare. There’s also a list of robust reds by the glass to choose from and we settle on a 2023 Eperosa ‘Krondorf’ Shiraz from the Barossa, which is juicy and complex and marries nicely with the lamb.
Personally, I’m pleased Song Bird changed its tune from Chinese to Italian. Both the bar and restaurant are built around simple pleasures, and we’ve already booked a return visit for the agnoletti in brodo and trippa alla Romana.
Time Out tip
If you’ve missed out on a booking at Gran Torino, console yourself over a few snacks and small plates downstairs at casual sidecar Bar Torino.