Bruno's feels just like home - if home were a retro, multi-level, 1900s-French-style fit out, complete with its own Manhatten-esque rooftop. If this is home, we’re never leaving.
The much-loved Hunky Dory Social Club has opened its stunning doors downstairs to make way for Bruno’s Restaurant with Chef Daniele Trimarchi of Fratelli Paradiso and Icebergs fame headlining in the kitchen.
Evenings kick off with a communal-dining setup, complete with crocheted tablecloths (made by someone’s mother), dim lighting, Elvis tunes in the background, a ceiling partially covered in cowhide and old-school Jesus photos adorning the walls. If The Godfather himself decides to drop in for a few slices of 24-month cured San Daniele prosciutto, no one would blink an eye. The homage to the Old Country is strong here, particularly through the menu, as Trimarchi draws on his Italian heritage. Ingredients are fresh, flavorsome and familiar to lovers of the Mediterranean.
The menu features an array of classics, like the refreshing Insalata Caprese and some creative combinations like the Insalata di Lenticchia of blue lentils, goat’s cheese, baby beetroot, tomato and fresh herbs. Homemade wood-fired bread complements the spicy cured pork paté with goat’s cheese. A spread of traditional and experimental wood-fired pizzas stand out from the menu and are available throughout the venue until midnight. The cuisine feels authentic, surrounded by Hunky Dory’s signature raw-edged interior.
Upstairs we opt for cocktails like the Tomy’s Margarita and a Honey Daiquiri, savoured as the last rays of sunlight disappear from the open roof terrace. With the opening of Bruno’s Restaurant, Hunky Dory Social Club has it all, cementing its place in the small-bar scene with kick-arse bars, swinging tunes and now a divine culinary scene to boot. It makes for an all-round rockin’ good time in our books.
Bruno’s – Downstairs at Hunky Dory Social Club
215 Oxford St, Darlinghurst
www.hdsc.virb.com
Bookings: (02) 9331 0442
Fri-Sat: Noon till late
Sun, Tues-Thurs: 6pm till late
Sheree Joseph
www.twitter.com/flyfromadream