Hidden in plain sight, L’uva is the new pasta and wine bar bringing a relaxed Italian dining scene to bustling Martin Place.
After an almost three-year hiatus of Sydney’s dining scene due to the c-word (COVID), it’s making a comeback one swanky restaurant at a time. Earlier this year the MLC Centre scored a major facelift under the new name 25 Martin Place. With it came Theatre Royal, luxury clothing stores, skyrise bars and a handful of new dining experiences including L’uva. Nestled in a quiet corner you’ll find the restaurant emulates a relaxed Italian dining scene bringing city workers a sanctuary from the office.
The space is beautifully designed with eye-grabbing textures including marble tabletops, linen curtains, dried flower arrangements and tan leather seating. Choose to perch up at the bar for aperitivo where the friendly bartenders will take care of you with bespoke cocktails, or settle in on the banquet tables overlooking the piazza and water feature for a more alfresco style experience.
L’uva, meaning ‘grapes’ in Italian ensures you have more Italian vino to choose from than your heart could desire. The team make it their mission to showcase the best producers of Italian grapes in Australia alongside a selection of our best regions including Adelaide Hills, Clare Valley, Barossa and Eden Valley. If cocktails are your prefered way to start a meal, the Violet French is pleasing to both the eye and palate with vodka, Chambord, pineapple, blackberry and a dusting of rose petals (it doesn’t get more gram-worthy than this).
Head Chef Joel Allen is in the kitchen bringing a modern interpretation of Italian cuisine to the plate. Expect those traditional flavour combinations you would see in the Southern regions of Italy, complemented by the best Australian produce. This is the kind of dining experience you want to drag out over at least three hours so we’d start with a Charcuterie Plate of Mortadella, Prosciutto San Daniele and Salsiccia Sarda which have all been sourced directly from Italy, housemade focaccia, olives, spiced nuts and all the usual suspects.
Moving onto mains, you can’t go past the Gnocchi Caprese with hand-rolled potato gnocchi, a rich tomato salsa, buffalo ricotta and basil or the Sardinian Fregola, a pearl-shaped pasta made from durum wheat which is served with generous pieces of slow-braised octopus. Although the pasta is the star of the show, there’s also a selection of more modern dishes including Barramundi Fillet, Wagyu Bisteccha and Alla Diavola Spatchcock with a punchy caponata.
It wouldn’t be Italian without a tiramisu on the menu… As with all the dishes, the chef has put his own spin on this classic with vodka, Kahlua, chocolate, mascarpone and vanilla sponge making this an Espresso Martini Tiramisu.
A great way to order at L’uva is by choosing the ‘Feed Me’ option for $75pp where the chefs bring you a parade of their most popular dishes. Expect housemade focaccia and cured meats, a pasta dish and main, as well as a dessert. This is the perfect option if you’re meeting up with friends in the city for dinner or settling in for a long lunch with colleagues.
L’uva is open Monday to Friday from 11:30am till midnight and Saturday from 5pm till midnight.
Discover the full menu and book your table here.
Wondering what other new restaurants and bars have popped up at 25 Martin Place? Discover AALIA & Cabana Bar.