Rushcutters Bay Italian Bar Machiavelli has gone as you know it. In its place stands the rebranded Bar M, a venue with the same ethos as the former, but with a few changes to share with its clientele.

Bar M remains housed in the historic former tyre factory on Neild Avenue, but is ready to take on a new direction under second-generation head chef and owner Paola Toppi, daughter of restaurateur Giovanni Toppi. Don’t worry, Bar Machiavelli’s lavish light projections will remain, as will its Italian cuisine. But the focus here has turned to classical Neopolitan dishes in terms of food, looking to the restaurants of the 1980s and 1990s for inspiration.

Antipasti and house-made pasta flood the altered menu. Of the latter category there is spaghetti with prawns, mushroom, garlic, chilli and basil, pappardelle with white bolognaise and cherry tomatoes, or baby gnocchi with sweetened blue cheese, among others.

Nibble on your dish of choice with a tipple chosen from the accompanying drinks list, which follows a similar passion for traditional Italian. Cocktails here include a barrel-aged Negroni made with grappa, or the signature Bellini and slightly more decadent Tiramsiu Martini, all designed by mixologist Matteo Belkeziz.

Bar M is open evenings Monday to Saturday, and every Friday for lunch. 

Bar M
10 Neild Avenue, Rushcutters Bay
bar-m.com.au