Former Da Orazio chef Orazio D’Elia last year welcomed his first venture with The Adored Group, introducing the Italian Matteo into Double Bay. Now the hospitality crew is expanding, making their mark in the business district with the addition of Matteo Downtown, which opens its doors today. Inspired by the all-day dining havens in Milan and Rome, this casual Italian outpost will sit on Sydney’s Bond Street and will feed hungry city visitors from morning through night.

D’Elia’s background has shaped the Matteo menu, which is focused around simple and traditional dishes. D’Elia was brought up in Southern Italia but honed his cooking in the kitchens of Milan, leading to an interest in cuisine from both sides of the country. The result is a menu awash with the earthy rich dishes of the north, combined with a few traditional favourites that have been forgotten.

Downtown will open on weekdays from 7am, offering a traditional Italian breakfast of pastry and espresso to be eaten at the bar. There’s a range of pasticceria like croissants, sfogliatella, cartocci siciliani, fagottini, ravioli dolci and camille to choose from, all freshly baked in the kitchen. There’s also panino (partnered with freshly made focaccia) or more heartier meals like Italian-style eggs (the cousin to shakshuka) or ‘cacio e pepe’ scrambled eggs topped with a decent dose of pecorino.

Downtown is offering an express lunch from 11am, designed for those with limited time to kill in mind. This speed-savvy menu includes antipasto boards, pastas, and paninis. Of course the all-day eatery also offers a plethora of long lunching options; Those looking for a more leisurely, long lunch or dinner will also be able to indulge in it of course, mains range from squid ink fregola, a Sardinian pasta similar to a risotto, cappelletti with butter, majoran and Sicilian pecorino dolce, and a linguine vongole with sea urchin. Cheese lovers rejoice for Downtown will also host a dedicated mozzarella bar. The restaurant has partnered with the award-winning Australia producer of fine cheeses, La Stella Latticini which are made fresh and delivered daily. “Mozzarella is the queen of cheeses on any Southern Italian table”, says D’Elia. “I’ve grown up eating Mozzarella balls like apples. Bringing the Mozzarella Bar to life at Downtown is very special to me, as it represents dishes from my childhood that I want to share with my food family in Australia.”

Fear not pizza fiends, for the Italian favourite also makes an appearance. Two traditional Neapolitan brick-style pizza ovens hand-made by Napoli’s Visciano have been introduced into the kitchen; one is used to make Orazio’s legendary pizza and the other to add a smoky component to dishes like the wood-fired Ranger Valley ribeye grain-fed steak. Within the kitchen you’ll also find a large rotisserie used to slowly cook the beef, chicken and pork on the menu.

Italian aperitivo culture thankfully also makes an appearance here. Five days a week from 4.00-6.00pm, aperitivo will be hosted offering up a selection of wine, beer, and cocktails accompanied by complimentary snacks (as is tradition). Snacks are delivered on roaming trays and showcase whatever produce D’Elia decides is best that day, from calzone to fried school prawns. Thursdays and Fridays will also host a musical edge, with a handful of leading local Js set to accompany your evening drinks.

Manager Maurizio Furiani has taken charge of the drinks list, which favours uncomplicated, classic Italian flavours. But the list is also a chance to try out some rather uncommon Italian spirits and small batch liquors (like Puni Sole and Strega). Of course there’s also wine; sommelier Chiara Daniele (ex Guillaume) has created an ‘approachable’ offering of organic whites and reds on tap, sourced from Orsogna Winery in Cheiti, Italy. If that doesn’t sound quite to your liking you may prefer to take to the wine wall of nearly 300 bottles settled within the space, cleverly set to different temperatures depending on the grape variety. There you’ll find big names, as well as up-and-coming Australian drops (natural wines included). With The Adored Group behind the launch of the likes of acclaimed bar Kittyhawk you know you’ll be in good hands.

The space has been designed by hospitality favourites ACME, with the concept inspired by the very Italian pizza in the piazza. The immersive is also integrated within the design; you’ll find the intimate dining room, overlooks an open kitchen. There’s an accompanying open terrace for alfresco drinking and dining – reminiscent of Milan’s bustling piazzas where people watching is a sport of sorts.

Matteo Downtown sits at 20 Bond Street, Sydney. It’s open 7.00-12.00am Monday to Friday, and 5.00pm-12.00am on Saturdays. matteosydney.com.