Bianchetto

Bianchetto is a softly lit cocktail bar and sibling venue to Mister Bianco, by veteran chef and restaurateur Joe Vargetto. Step in off the street through the sliding door and take a right, entering the bar through a Klimt-esque gold curtain draped across the entrance.

High ceilinged as it is, the 42-seater still feels intimate and moody. Crimson velour curtains cover one end of the room, and old-school leather booth seating hugs the olive-green walls. Soft light comes from small table lamps and the glow of 1960s Italian films projected on the wall.

The drinks menu lists Italian classics with a local twist, and “a little side of wine”. The Olive Oil Martini, made with Mount Zero cold-pressed olives, is clean and opulent sans the brine. The Sicilian Sour riffs on the Bloody Mary, with Vargetto’s passata, marsala and lemon. The Bianchetto Bellini has sour Amarena cherries with elderflower cordial and sparkling wine, while the Americano is mixed tableside – from a dedicated trolley.

There are simple Sicilian snacks, like olives ascolana (stuffed with ‘nduja, crumbed and fried); scaccia (flatbread) filled with mortadella; and green-pepper-and-spicy-sausage spiedino (skewers). Those with a penchant for boozy treats can finish on whisky-and-chocolate cigars or cassata-amaro gelato.