First Look: Iconic Pizzeria Aces Reopens in Chinatown With a “Yum-Ciao” Menu From Chef Tom Tilbury

The DJ booth and dancefloor set the tone at the reimagined Aces. The ambitious two-storey restaurant and bar has room for 140 people, with New York-Italian vibes upstairs and a sexy Italo insouciance below. It’s the sort of spot you’d imagine Frank Sinatra and The Rat Pack hanging out at during their heyday.

The former office building and a mobile phone store is in the heart of Chinatown, with a balcony overlooking the towering red paifang archway. After Broadsheet broke the story in August last year , the space underwent an impressive transformation with a fit-out courtesy of Frame Creative.

The new Aces quietly opened last night, but it’s been a long time coming – three decades in fact. The Fantasia family opened the original Aces Bar and Bistro next to the Central Market more than 30 years ago. New partners came on board in late 2019 then the venue closed in early 2022. The new incarnation is a triumphant return to form, rising above Gouger and Moonta streets and screaming, “Look at me!”

A deep, broody red ripples through the space, from the mammoth neon “Aces” sign on the facade to the welcome mats beckoning diners through heavy glass doors, and in maroon booths and walls downstairs. The two worlds are connected by a wide timber staircase and, although each space has its own identity, fun is the focus throughout.

Front-of-house staff rock white pants, blue T-shirts and footwear supplied by Vans. Kitchen staff are dressed entirely in white. The open kitchen looks out over a sweeping chequered floor, dotted with white bentwood chairs, maroon velvet booth seating and custom timber tables, around which diners tackle culinary director Tom Tilbury’s inventive menu.

Speaking to Broadsheet , the founder of Gather Food & Wine and the former executive chef at Press describes the food as “very Italian focused, with influences from Chinatown. There’s something for everyone. I get excited when I read the menu”.

The à la carte menu’s small plates include salumi, giardiniera (pickled veggies), seasonal fish crudo, meatballs in Sunday sauce (a Fantastia family classic) and chilli-topped southern rock lobster ravioli in a rich broth. You won’t find any pizza, but pasta is well represented. Cue gramigna (a pasta shape from Emilia-Romagna) carbonara with black pepper, speck and yolk; mafaldine , duck and fig ragu with ricotta salata; and spaghetti vongole a la Golden Century (a dish inspired by the Sydney Chinatown institution).

Meat and fish dishes include spatchcock cacciatore (available by the half or as the whole bird); bone-in parmesan- and herb-crusted veal cotoletta; a daily market fish; and an 800-gram dry-aged Bistecca with a choice of three sides.

Sweets are delightfully Italian and highlight ingredients such amaretti and limoncello. The baba al limoncello with custard and olive oil is a contemporary twist on the French bistro classic.

Shared menu offerings come in three tiers: three courses for $75 per person, five for $95 or seven for $120. A private dining room for 12, complete with a lazy Susan (what else?), is prime for such feasts. The forthcoming lunch menu will amp up the fun factor with “yum ciao”, whereby diners order snacky Italian plates by ticking boxes on a paper menu.

On the liquid front, house and classic cocktails are also executed with an Italy-meets-Chinatown twist. Think Downtown Chinatown (spiced rum, Aperol, pineapple and lime), Italiano Martini (vodka, coffee and condensed milk) and Lychee Bubble Tea (gin, Cointreau, lemon, green tea, lychee jelly and strawberry pearls).

The wine list drawns mostly from Italy and South Australia. Adelaide Hills’ La Prova Fiano, Loverman Nero a’Avola and Turon Chardonnay sit alongside a smattering of co-owner Andrew Fantasia’s Hustle & Vine drops. Premium Italian options from Tuscany and Piedmont can be dipped into via Coravin.

Try dropping in alone, just for a drink. The upstairs bar is open all day and accessible by lift. Shooters, like the sloe gin, apricot brandy and lime concoction named David Bowie are inspired by ’80s tunes, which should give you a hint of what you can expect on the dancefloor when it kicks off on Friday nights.

Aces
96 Gouger Street, Adelaide
(08) 7942 2194

Hours:
Mon to Thu 5pm–10pm
Fri & Sun midday–late
Last food orders at 9:30pm.

aceschinatown.com/
@aces_chinatown