Australia has qualified for the World Cup again. Italy… has not.
And, while that might say something about football, it says absolutely nothing about food – because when it comes to dining, Italians are still comfortably playing in their own league.
Not “Doing it Better” per se. But, definitely inspiring a generation of Sydney siders to embrace long lunches and develop an alarming dependence on spritzes.
Don’t believe us? It might be time to check out Benetti’s – a new Brighton-Le-Sands restaurant that slings excellent carbs against an “inspired by the colour palette of a particularly expensive beach club in Positano,” backdrop.
Located within The Brighton Hotel Sydney – MGallery Collection, Benetti’s bringing house-made pasta, wood-fired pizza, seafood, aperitivo cocktails and enough Amalfi Coast energy to make you briefly forget you’re looking at Botany Bay.
Not that that’s a bad thing.
Positioned along The Grand Parade, Benetti’s feels designed around one very specific philosophy: nobody should be in a hurry.
Lunch becomes afternoon drinks. Afternoon drinks become dinner. Someone orders another round. A DJ appears. Suddenly it’s dark outside and you’ve somehow spent six hours discussing holiday plans you’ll never actually book.
In other words, Italian dining as it was intended.
Open daily from midday until midnight, the venue leans heavily into the kind of share-style eating that rewards large groups, ambitious ordering and absolutely no interest in moderation.
At the centre of the menu is Head Chef Mariocristian Carella, who was born in Puglia and appears to have little patience for overcomplicating things.
“It’s food designed to be shared,” he explains. “Nothing overcomplicated, just good ingredients, handled properly. You take a bit, pass it on, and the table keeps moving.”
It’s a philosophy that runs through the entire offering.
Fresh pasta is produced daily using a La Monferrina pasta machine imported directly from Italy and flour sourced from Molino Casillo.
In fact, the lineup alone could derail even the most disciplined Keto-er.
There’s chitarra allo scoglio loaded with mussels, clams, prawns and calamari. Spaghetti tossed with king prawns, garlic, chilli and prawn oil. Fusilli with baked tomato, basil and ricotta salata.
Meanwhile, a Marana Forni wood-fired oven turns out pizzas over open flame, because if you’re committing to Italian authenticity, you may as well commit properly.
Alongside classics like Margherita, Capricciosa and Prosciutto sits The Benetti, a gloriously excessive combination of tomato, mozzarella, nduja, hot honey, gorgonzola and basil that feels specifically engineered to trigger food envy across an entire table.
Not that anyone should be ordering just one thing. In fact it defeats the purpose. And makes it harder than need be to factor in a spot for other bites. Like the kingfish crudo, burrata with heirloom tomatoes, veal Milanese, snapper acqua pazza and an Italian seafood stew that arrives with the expectation they’ll be shared rather than claimed.
Did we mention dessert?
Tableside tiramisu adds a little theatre to proceedings, while millefoglie scomposta and a Nutella pizza topped with banana, ricotta and hazelnut praline ensure nobody leaves feeling remotely virtuous.
For beachgoers, Benetti’s may have its smartest feature yet: a dedicated takeaway window facing The Grand Parade.
Meaning you can walk directly from the sand, order something carb-heavy, and return to your beach towel without ever committing to a full sit-down meal. Frankly, it’s surprising more waterfront venues haven’t thought of this.
The drinks list follows a similarly Italian philosophy.
Aperitivo culture sits front and centre, with cocktails designed less for speed and more for lingering. The Benetti’s Negroni for Two combines Never Never Oyster Shell Gin, Campari and dry vermouth with a saline edge, while the Arancello Spritz and Paloma alla Veneziana continue the Mediterranean holiday fantasy.
Not that the venue is trying particularly hard to hide its inspirations.
Designed by Paul Papadopoulos of DS17, the interiors draw heavily from the colours and atmosphere of the Amalfi Coast at golden hour. Soft peach, blush and white tones run throughout the space, balanced by marble detailing and textured finishes that shift beautifully as the sunlight changes throughout the day.
It may not be Capri, but it’s not bad for a suburb most people still associate primarily with airport traffic and post-beach fish and chips.
But perhaps that’s the broader appeal of Benetti’s. You don’t need to fly to Southern Italy. You don’t need to spend three weeks island-hopping around the Mediterranean. You just need a table, a spritz, a bowl of pasta and enough time to let the afternoon get away from you.
The Italians would probably approve. Heck. We wouldn’t be surprised if we spotted their national team there this weekend. Not like they have anything else to do …
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