Carbonara scrambled eggs and pistachio espressos at Secolo owners’ new CBD trattoria, Tessuto

The owners of popular CBD restaurant Secolo are back with a new retro Italian trattoria that’s serving up carbonara scrambled eggs, pistachio espressos, freshly-made focaccias and limoncello spritzes.

Tessuto, which officially opens today, marks a much-awaited return to the city for Anthony, Tanja and Robert Arienzale, as well as head chef Mattia Senesi and barista Salvatore Messina.

Timber panelling and terrazzo flooring reminiscent of Italy’s bustling eateries have brought a lively feel to the ground floor of a refurbished, 190-year-old building on York St.

Anthony says the team were passionate about creating a space in the CBD where people can just as easily gather for a quick coffee and a chat, as they can enjoy a leisurely breakfast or lunch over a few wines or cocktails.

“Similar to the trattorias of Italy, we want this to be a vibrant place where everyone knows everyone, and people gather together over good food, coffee and drinks”, he says.

Perch at the custom-made marble bar for your regular hit of caffeine, or try one of Tessuto’s specialties, like the tiramisu iced latte made with layers of mascarpone cream, double espresso, milk, cacao sprinkle and savoiardi biscotti, or the Dirty Sicilian, a single shot of espresso served with Italian hot chocolate.

After something a little more elegant? The Picciriddu is a single espresso with milk froth, pistachio cream and a delicious pistachio crumb rim.

“Italians love their coffee just like Australians do, but have their own flavours and traditions, which we’re excited to introduce to Sydneysiders,” Anthony says.

The Picciriddu, which means little boy in Italian, was inspired by the small island of Sicily - known for its pistachios - where Messina grew up.

Senesi returns to the kitchen at Tessuto, where he is serving up dishes like Blue Swimmer crab omelette, a breakfast plate of soft boiled eggs, avocado, fresh tomato and ricotta, as well as modern dishes like roasted eggplant bruschetta and its signature carbonara scrambled eggs.

The morning take on the iconic Roman pasta dish is made with crispy pancetta, shaved pecorino and cracked black pepper, and served with sourdough.

For lunch there’s an extensive selection of antipasti, including tartare di tonno, polpette (meatballs) and beetroot carpaccio, housemade pastas, mains like steak and fish, and desserts.

Then there are the freshly-made focaccias.

Available from the custom-made, street-facing counter, they include prosciutto with mozzarella, fresh tomato and house-made basil pesto, mortadella with ricotta, olives, rocket and aioli, caprese and an Australian classic chicken schnitzel.

Mattia says each dish has been designed so it can be just as easily enjoyed dining in, or takeaway. 

“Office workers don’t tend to have a lot of time to stop for lunch during the week, but that doesn’t mean they should have to sacrifice on quality and taste,” he says.

“Our dishes are perfect for whether you’re looking for a quick lunch to break up the day, or something more leisurely, where you can really savour the experience.”

The booze list features a range of spritzes, perfect for Friday lunch, including Venetian, Disaronno and Limoncello, as well as Americano and Amaretto Sour cocktails.

There is also a rotating wine list featuring Italian and Australian drops that are available by the glass, carafe and bottle, with prosecco, white, rosé and red all on offer.

Tessuto, which means fabric in Italian, pays homage to the history of the building that was once home to Australia’s largest importer of silks, cottons and other textiles.

“Every venue we’ve ever had has been located somewhere that has its own story to tell,” Tanja says.

“It’s something that’s really important to us and particularly with the length of time this property has been around, we wanted to honour it.”

Tessuto is located at 32-34 York St and is open from 7am to 4pm, Monday to Friday.

Visit www.tessuto.sydney for more information.