Hot new events dining experience opens below ICC

Fratelli Fresh opens an immersive Italian food and dining emporium this week in the heart of Darling Harbour, offering an all-day dining and events destination for groups of all sizes.

Opening at 7am on Friday, 25 May, the flagship Fratelli outpost is located below the International Convention Centre (ICC) theatre and accommodates a range of group events and interactions.

The 1,100 square-metre, light-filled emporium boasts 30-metre high ceilings and an industrial feel, with flashes of Fratelli Fresh signature red and white. The vast space is sectioned into a number of interactive dining spaces, live cooking stations, and bars. Communal and smaller tables are available, along with Chesterfield sofas and leather banquets.

The striking space caters to private parties, workshops, conferences, sit-down and cocktail-style business gatherings, and pre- and post-ICC events of 20 to 2000 guests. The emporium can be hired in its entirety for celebratory occasions, or areas can be transformed for smaller, more intimate gatherings. A 100-seat beer and wine garden brimming with citrus and olive trees and pots of geraniums is an ideal al-fresco events area.

Serving house-made Neapolitan pizza, pasta and rotisserie-roasted meats, the menu is perfectly adaptable to small or large groups and showcases premium produce from local partners, including Vannella Cheese, Salumi Australia, Sonoma Bakery, Mecca Coffee, as well as Italian hero brands, Baci chocolate and Campari, and iconic American craft beer pioneer Goose Island Beers.

Fratelli Fresh Darling Harbour has added a little pizzazz to the drinking experience with a stylish Campari Bar that showcases an impressive line-up of spritzes and negronis available on tap and a range of coffee through cocktails courtesy of local, cult roaster Mecca Coffee.

A tap takeover will see an evolving line-up of six Goose Island beers flowing through the venue and heralds Fratelli Fresh as the exclusive Australian restaurant and bar to partner this legendary brewery and showcase a broad range of its craftsmanship. Another premium partner is Ross Hill Wines from Orange in NSW, which serves Fratelli’s large selection of beautiful, cool-climate house wine.

Hands-on classes, tastings and workshops led by Fratelli chefs and exploring the incredible produce of these premium producers, are on offer throughout the year and can be tailored for corporate work functions, team bonding experiences and End of Financial Year get-togethers. Cocktail masterclasses, cheese making sessions, beer flights and food pairings, and wine tastings are just some of the events that can be hosted at Fratelli Fresh Darling Harbour.

Rockpool Dining Group Director of Events Leila Carey said Fratelli’s first food and dining emporium offered a flexible events space for any occasion.

“The venue is conveniently located in the heart of Sydney and directly below the International Convention Centre making it a go-to destination for events organisers,” Carey said.

“It is a unique space, designed to be flexible for a range of gastronomic interactive experiences, which can accommodate large conferences and business functions, or smaller, more intimate parties and dining groups.”

A Meet the Maker calendar of complimentary tastings featuring Mecca Coffee, Sonoma Bakery, Vanella Cheese, Salumi Australia, Ross Hill Wines, Campari and Goose Island Beers, spans the launch weekend of Saturday, 26 May and Sunday, 27 May, with performers adding some live vibes to the opening days.