A luxe new venue has landed in the heart of Surry Hills, providing the perfect backdrop for your summer aperitivo hour plans. And if your favourite pre-dinner drink happens to be a negroni? Boy, do we have some good news for you.

New negroni-focused aperitivo bar, Bar Conte, opens on Riley Street tomorrow, and the intimate eatery will be offering 20 different spins on the well-loved cocktail.

It’s an idea co-owner Raffaele Lombard has been working toward for quite some time.

“I have dreamt of this concept for the past 10 years. The negroni is my drink of choice, and has been since I was a young man growing up in Sorrento on the Amalfi Coast. It’s bitter, strong and clean – the ultimate pre-dinner drink. We felt it deserved its own dedicated bar.”

Lombard and partner, interior designer Victoria Hampshire, wanted to recreate the essence of Italy’s relaxed aperitivo culture right here in Sydney, ensuring that the food, service and ambience worked together to complement their Campari-based cocktail specialty.

The cosy, inviting space was designed by Hampshire, referencing the couple’s time in Italy.

“I have always had a love of bottle green and brass, with bottle green tiles and forest green marble, complementing the warmth of the parquetry floor and the deep red walls that are a reference to our life and travels in Italy.

“We wanted people to both feel and see the light when they visit Bar Conte.

“The space has been designed to feel like you are within our living room, with the kitchen as a backdrop, the bar as a focus and caring hospitality from our staff”.

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Head chef and co-owner, Steve De Vecchi, (formerly The Apollo) continues the negroni focus in the kitchen, creating a range of Italian snacks and share plates to pair with your cocktail. Smaller dishes feature everything from negroni-infused salumi to negroni-dressed oysters, while Italian favourites such as gnocchi and marinated eggplant provide the basis for larger fare, should you wish to bunker down and make an evening of it.

For those not as committed to the negroni as Lombard, there will be a host of Italian and Australian vermouths on offer, plus a rotating roster of European beers and Italian wines.

With a mix of indoor seating options and an outdoor offering on the way, this well-positioned bar couldn’t have arrived at a better time – an ice cold negroni is definitely the reward you deserve after making that long trek up Foveaux Street.

Bar Conte opens on Wednesday, September 14.

Bar Conte
340 Riley Street, Surry Hills
Mon-Thur, 4.30pm-Close
Fri-Sat, 11.30am-Close
@barconte_surryhills

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