“I could eat two or three serves of this,” someone at the neighbouring table blurts out. A generously layered beef shin lasagne gleaming with vodka sauce and Parmigiano is quickly disappearing from the plate. The handmade pasta is the work of chef-owner Nicholas Giannopoulos, who’s just opened Sippenham with his best mate Stephen Mandis.

Giannopoulos is captaining his first kitchen, after a childhood watching his dad work at Luna Blu, a long-closed Tuscan 20-seater in the Italian Forum. “Every kid wants to be an astronaut, race-car driver. I was like: chef. I want to be a chef. I want to be like my dad,” he tells Broadsheet. He’s known how to handle a knife and make fresh pasta since he was 12, often calling in sick from school to help out in his dad’s kitchen. Learning sauces came right after graduating, when he dived into an apprenticeship.

Fast forward a few years, and Mandis did the best-friend thing, knowing he couldn’t let his friend’s passion go to waste. He quit his job in finance and convinced his mate to chase his dream. Now Sydenham has its first little wine bar, leaning into its inner-west postcode.

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Sippenham’s menu starts simple: classic focaccia with olive oil and balsamic vinegar. The house-made six-hour, high-hydration dough is deceptively crispy and light when baked.

Now, the pasta. The gnocchi sorrentina is so good that Giannopoulos gets poetic. “Fluffy, like little pillows that hug you. They’re just tasty as hell and super soft.” The dumplings are sauced with San Marzano tomatoes, topped with mozzarella and then popped into the oven to get all gooey and bubbly.

The lasagne is a play on osso buco and a family-recipe pastitsio. Instead of mince, the team uses marrow-in beef shin. “[It’s] lasagne for all intents and purposes, but an ode to my grandmother, too.” With its silky vodka sauce, the velvety slab will indeed leave you wanting more.

On a heaving plate of Sardinian malloreddus, a creamy and mildly sweet shellfish bisque fills the nooks and crannies of the ribbed shells. The gnocchi-like shape is made with semolina and incredibly fun to eat.

Two desserts close to Giannopoulos’s heart round out the menu: his grandmother’s orange and almond cake and a slightly boozier tiramisu using his dad’s 30-year-old recipe. “The tiramisu is one of the first-ever recipes that I learnt from my old man. It’s stood the test of time, I don’t think I’ve ever received a bad word for it.”

The wine list is ever-changing, curated by the best at Lo-Fi Wines. The opening menu is completely South Australian and approachably priced: most glasses are between $14 and $17, and the most expensive bottle is an $82 sparkling. The ever-faithful easy-drinking orange from Das Juice is there, as is Ada’s chilly red, Mad Hattie. There are eight cocktails, plus beers from Philter (Mandis and Giannopoulos are big beer guys and love the brand).

On one side of the venue is a gallery wall of photos and art; the other is a chalkboard where you’ll see sports box scores, notes on the weekly curated playlist (which diners will be able to contribute to) and weekly specials.

In a nostalgic twist, Giannopoulos is now running his own Italian 20-seater, just like his dad. Co-founder Mandis only makes it better. Stepping inside is a bit like stepping into a mate’s place: big smiles, big tunes and big portions. As far as Sydney’s inner-west suburbs go, Sydenham has always been overlooked. Sippenham’s here to change that.

Sippenham
282 Unwins Bridge Road, Sydenham
0420 566 805

Hours:
Wed & Thu 5pm–9.30pm
Fri & Sat 5pm–10pm

sippenham.com
@sippenham