Dan Pepperell has unlocked the secret to standing out in Sydney. He’s the chef, of Hubert fame, who made us love the French brasserie again, and now he’s reinvented the trattoria with Alberto’s Lounge, tucked away in a Surry Hills laneway. It’s a seamless experience from beginning to end: transporting, energetic and a roaring good time.

Swiftly settled at our table, a basket of glistening, salty Pioik focaccia and Australian olive oil arrives, a snack to get us by while we peruse the wine list. Italian wines are at the forefront, and sommelier Andy Tyson (also of Hubert) is a whiz at sourcing interesting bottles alongside more familiar varietals.

We’ve seen Pepperell’s slick Italian plates at Paddington jewel 10 William St before, so it’s no surprise that we continue to be wowed here. Just when you think Italian is going to be predictable, Pepperell swoops in with a plate of cucumbers bathed in a light pickle of colatura (an Italian fish sauce) on a bed
of tangy Meredith Dairy goat’s curd. It’s mouth-puckering and fantastic, superior in its simplicity. Then, a dripping pool of cream masquerading as burrata slips seductively over eggplant caponata so silky you can eat it with a spoon.

Pepperell hasn’t lost his touch with pasta, and wide tubes of house-made paccheri tossed in a moreish ragu of milk-braised pork and veal are textbook perfection. The classics are all here, with dishes like veal saltimbocca served traditionally with sage, prosciutto and Marsala sauce, and cotoletta, updated here to crumbed pork neck, standing out. Pepperell understands the diner’s penchant for nostalgia, but still, it manages to feel reinvented, reinvigorated. Even the Negroni is new here, coming in the form of a Boulevardier, where gin is replaced with bourbon.

Pepperell blazes a trail for chefs around the country, coupling a deep knowledge of ingredients with fearless experimentation.