The Overseas Passenger Terminal at Circular Quay has just welcomed one of its biggest arrivals yet, with four-level multi-venue destination The Oriana being revealed just in time for Vivid, at the former site of Squires Landing and the much-mourned Quay restaurant. The sprawling waterfront hub offers a capacity of 1,500 all up, across a ground floor beer garden, first floor pub and restaurant within the former Quay dining room, with an events space above – all with front-row views of the Bridge and Opera House, and the busy working harbour between them. Overseas Passenger Terminal, Circular Quay, The Rocks, OrianaSydney.com.au

Shortly after making its CBD debut with daiquiri bar Razz Room, Newtown-born hospo group Odd Culture has revealed its all-day York Street osteria Bar Bruno. At ground level above the subterranean Razz Room, Bar Bruno trades through from morning espresso and pastries into the evening with an a la carte Italian menu, with a heavy focus on raw crudo dishes, seafood and meaty mains, except between 3pm-5pm, Monday to Saturday, when saltly little share plates and $13 cocktails star during aperitivo hour. 18-20 York Street, Sydney; oddculture.group/bar-bruno

Restaurateur Paola Toppi, of the pasta dynasty behind Sydney institutions Machiavelli and Bar M, is behind walk-in Pasta Shop in Potts Point. It’s approachable, affordable and – surprise, surprise – all about pasta, with 11 signature pastas on the menu available to eat in or takeaway, all under $30, plus pre-batched cocktails by Maybe Sammy. 37 Bayswater Road, Potts Point; @pastashopsydney

Fourteen years after serving its last steak frites in The Rocks, French brasserie Ananas is back, with Hunter St. Hospitality reimagining the restaurant above recently refreshed Lebanese bistro Sahtein, bringing back some of the fine-dining service hallmarks with a more accessible offering, including generous share plates and uber-garlicky, buttery escargot. Argyle Stores, 18a Argyle St, The Rocks; ananas.com.au

MGallery Collection continues to make The Brighton Hotel one of the hottest places to be seen in Brighton-Le-Sands, with casual Italian bistro Benetti’s joining the likes of Ammos off The Grand Parade in the growing multi-venue precinct, led by Puglia-born chef Mariocristian Carella. 2 Princess St, Brighton-Le-Sands; benettisitalian.com.au

After 26 years on Norton Street in Leichhardt’s Little Italy, Grappa is has relocated to a new home in The Rocks, bringing the Colosi family’s house-made pasta, pizza and Italian hospitality to the grand sandstone property that once housed the original Rockpool. With long-time chef Adam Nicholls along for the ride, expect pitch-perfect pizza and pasta, naturally, as well as more bombastic dishes like a salt-encrusted snapper, and a 1.2kg lamb shoulder from Sovereign in Victoria’s Goldfields designed to share. 107-109 George Street, The Rocks; grappa.com.au

Odd Culture’s underground daiquiri bar and discotheque Razz Room is the first CBD offering from the group behind The Old Fitz, Pleasure Club, the eponymous Odd Culture in Newtown. Beneath street level, the team channels 1960s New York’s debaucherous disco scene, serving up a food menu peppered with retro classics like cheeseburger royale, oysters rockerfeller and prawn cocktails. The cocktail list is all fun, all the time: with a vivid blue Pavlova Fruit Tingle, a classic strawberry daiquiri (with a not-so-classic sichuan kick) and a “not a Japanese Slipper” that looks a lot like one, if tequila crashed the party. 18-20 York Street, Sydney CBD; oddculture.group/venue/razz-room

Hospitality power duo Alessandro and Anna Pavoni have brought their winning formula from Cibaria in Manly and Noosa to expand a’Mare at The Crown into a multi-venue Italian dining hub. The relaunch incorporates a new-look a’Mare Dining Room, aperitivo bar Vista’Mare and Pizza’Mare, the unstoppable duo’s first dedicated pizzeria. 1 Barangaroo Avenue, Sydney; crownsydney.com.au/restaurants/pizzamare

The group behind Newtown’s popular martini den Bar Planet is now playing a similar song in the CBD, with subterranean venue Bar Bridge. In the former Double Deuce Lounge space, the Bridge Street venue worships at the altar of the extra dry martini (unlike its sister, where the martinis can never be too dirty). A more extensive menu of classic cocktails rounds out the menu, but all visits must start with the Bridge Martini – particularly during the daily happy hour, 4–6pm, when they are pouring for $13. Downstairs, 6 Bridge St, Sydney CBD; muchogroup.com.au/barbridge

It’s going to be a tiny bit easier to nab a seat at chef Toshihiko Oe’s coveted omakase experience, but not by much. The sushi master has closed his six-seater restaurant in Cammeray to open an eight-seater Sushi Oe venue at the new Sydney Fish Market. Sydney Fish Market, B4 1 Bridge Rd, Glebe; @sushiooe

Four years after taking over Five Dock’s Pasticceria Tamborrino, Debbie and Gilbert Colacicco have fulfilled a long-held dream right next door in Tamborrino Forno e Gelateria – a gelateria and forno (bakery) inspired by Gilbert’s Pugliese birthplace, serving house-made gelato, pizza Romana, focaccia Pugliese and pastries. 73 Great North Road, Five Dock; pasticceriatamborrino.com.au

The Sydney Fish Market has reeled in yet another prime catch, with Luke Nguyen’s anticipated offering LUA now taking bookings. Nguyen references his Vietnamese heritage, Thai birthplace and Australian home in a Southeast Asian menu cooked over flame, with views out over Blackwattle Bay in a prime position on the market’s northern side. 1 Bridge Rd, Glebe; luasydney.com.au

Not long after bringing its elevated charcoal chicken concept Henrietta to Bondi, ESCA group (of aalia, the new aalia wine bar, Nour and more) has opened Besa in the beachside ’burb. A tapas bar inspired by Spain’s nocturnal culture, Besa encourages diners to hang around long after the tourists have departed the famous foreshore for the day, with an approachable menu of tapas and picoteo (nibbles), plus more substantial share plates such as whole John Dory and chicken on squid-ink fideuà (Spanish noodles). 75-79 Hall Street, Bondi; besabondi.com

SRG Hospitality, owners of fortuitously located Sydney venues like Ormeggio at the Spit and Akti, has opened British bistro The James inside The Langham, Sydney. Chef Sam Tuchband (ex Aria, Franca and Trinity London) will borrow from his time working in Old Blighty to reinterpret classics such as beef Wellington, Bubble & Squeak and sticky toffee pudding (reborn as a soufflé) in a dining room that channels your nan’s house – if she had impeccable taste. 89–113 Kent Street, Millers Point; thejames.com.au

Vitelli’s Upstairs has officially replaced Baptist Street Rec. Club in Wunderlich Lane on the border of Redfern and Surry Hills, with an American-Italian menu featuring fresh pasta from sister restaurant Grana. Later on, the action shifts to the 20-seat in-house bar, with its Italian-inspired cocktail list and bar snacks til 1am. Corner of Cleveland &, Baptist St, Redfern; vitellisupstairs.com.au