First look at legendary Leichhardt restaurant Grappa’s upmarket spin-off at The Rocks

It has been more than 60 years since Antonio Colosi first laid eyes on the Sydney Harbour Bridge. He arrived in Australia on a passenger liner transporting post-war migrants from Italy, and went on to open a restaurant in Leichhardt in 1999 with son Charlie Colosi. They named it Grappa, after the pressed grapeskin digestif Antonio liked so much.

This week, after 27 years, Grappa expanded to a second Italian restaurant and bar at The Rocks, with glimpses of the Harbour Bridge. Charlie says he thinks his late father would be proud to see how far their family-run business has come.

“I always remember as a kid, him bringing me to Circular Quay to show me the place where he came to Australia,” he says. “It’s ironic now that, after all these years, we’re opening a restaurant just steps away. It’s unfortunate he won’t be here to see it.”

The new 300-seater restaurant is housed in a 19th century sandstone building with a culinary history of its own – this is where Neil Perry and Trish Richards opened the original Rockpool restaurant in 1989. Much of its original charm was restored during the six-month renovation, which unearthed stone walls, timber beams and an ornamental fireplace in the private dining room.

“We weren’t looking to expand but when someone approached us to look at the venue, it just felt right,” Charlie says. “I think the area has so much potential. It’s the gateway to Sydney.”

Grappa was built on a foundation of old-school hospitality and Calabrian dishes, and the new menu will feel familiar to long-term customers. Head chef Adam Nicholls, who has worked with the family since 2001, is serving their signature dishes (minus the kids’ menu), from salt-baked whole snapper and homemade potato gnocchi, to wood-fired pizzas and tiramisu.

“There’s a price point for everyone, and I think that’s what led to Grappa having such continued success,” Charlie says. “You can walk in and purchase a bottle of wine at a fair price point and share a pizza with the kids, or you can come for a celebration.”

There are high-end items exclusive to The Rocks, including Ars Italica caviar, spaghetti alla chitarra with live eastern rock lobster, and a selection of wagyu steaks (one chocolate-fed), cooked over charcoal and Ironbark wood.

Diners can walk in or pre-book a table inside, on the terrace along George Street, or in the ’70s-inspired bar upstairs. No matter where they’re seated, they can order from the new bar menu, which features an extensive selection of spritzes and martinis (including a tiramisu martini).

Pastry chef Bonnie Hong’s dessert menu features Grappa’s signature bombolini doughnuts (fried to order), as well as house-made fior di latte soft serve, garnished with extra virgin olive oil and sea salt.

Colosi says he hopes Grappa will become a destination restaurant for residents as well as tourists, creating that same sense of community that sustained their Leichhardt restaurant for so many years.

“Obviously, we want to look after the tourists, but for me, it’s about the regulars,” Colosi says. “Over the past four weeks, we’ve had so many residents coming in to say they can’t wait for us to open, who live around the corner, or behind the wool sheds, or in the CBD. I wanted to bring our good old-fashioned hospitality to [them].”

Grappa The Rocks, 107-109 George Street, The Rocks, grappa.com.au