Fratelli Fresh - Bridge Street

As the nooks, crannies, basements and laneways of the CBD become the new playgrounds of the inner city, it’s time to chalk another hidden space up for points. You’ll find Fratelli Fresh in a well-worn basement space under Steersons on Bridge Street.

It’s the fourth instalment of the Urban Purveyor Group’s Fratelli empire (in addition to Waterloo, Potts Point and Walsh Bay) and it’s got all the trademarks of the other three beauties, but here there is the added charm of the subterranean location.

The space was once an old spice market, but Michael Delany’s rework of the interior is beguiling, almost like an underground fire station with its lacquered concrete floors, moody down lights and splashes of red here and there.

Three food/drinks areas divide the space, each with its own marble topped bar/prep area. Walk in past the displays of fresh bread and flowers and you’ll find yourself in Cafe Sopra (complete with its renowned seasonal Italian menu, a bustling open kitchen and a brick pizza oven), move on past to the aperitivo bar, then head on through to the pizza and mozzarella bar at the far end for light snacks and drinks.