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Cellar Bar, an Italian restaurant on Bourke Street, offers a cozy setting with wood-panelled walls and dark decor suitable for casual pasta dinners or coffee stops. While the food remains excellent, particularly dishes like chopped salmon with ricotta and winter panzanella salad, recent changes in ownership have led to some inconsistencies in service quality. Despite these issues, the restaurant still provides a solid wine list and reliable pastas such as lasagne and saffron risoni.
Written locally by qwen2.5:14b on 2026-10-12,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Story summary
Cellar Bar, an Italian restaurant in Sydney's Bourke Street, remains a popular spot for casual dining and pasta meals. Recently under new ownership as part of a larger group, it has maintained its classic menu items but experienced some service hiccups possibly due to the transition period. The venue features wood-panelled walls and dark wooden decor, enhancing its charm and atmosphere. Despite minor changes, customers can still enjoy high-quality snacks like chopped raw salmon with horseradish-tinged ricotta and pickled onions, alongside a noteworthy wine list served on chalkboards by attentive staff. Seasonal dishes such as the winter panzanella salad, featuring creamy butter beans, green beans, artichokes, and capers, highlight the kitchen's creativity in reimagining traditional Italian fare.
Written for “Cellar Bar Opens” on 2026-10-12,
grounded in this article and the 0 other(s) covering the same event.
The dark slip of a room in Bourke Street is such a familiar sight, we probably take it for granted.
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we → take → it
You can stop in for coffee or a bowl of perfectly crisp chips with a fino and pineapple spritz.
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You → stop → spritz
It’s ready when you need a quick bowl of pasta with no pomp.
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you → ’ → pomp
Its wood-panelled walls, dark wood bar and gorgeous parquetry floors add gravitas to any occasion.
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walls → panel → occasion
It’s changed hands in the last year and, while the classics on the menu haven’t gone anywhere, there’s something a little off in the service and atmosphere.
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classics → change → service
Perhaps it’s just the growing pains of new ownership, or being part of a big group with many balls in the air.
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it → ’ → air
That aside, you can still get excellent snacks to go with the lovely wine list, chalked up on a board that servers bring to your table.
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servers → get → table
Chopped raw salmon is tumbled with with horseradish-tinged ricotta and pickled onions.
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salmon → chop → ricotta
A winter panzanella salad of creamy butter beans, snappy green beans, artichokes and capers shows the kitchen’s penchant for seasonal twists on Italian classics.
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salad → show → classics
Pastas are always a safe bet, from the warming and steadfast lasagne to saffron risoni topped with ossobuco and zapped with gremolata.
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Pastas → warm → gremolata
Good to know: Quick visits are often a smoother ride service-wise.
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visits → know → ?
Good Food reviews are booked anonymously and paid independently.
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reviews → book → ?
A restaurant can’t pay for a review or inclusion in the Good Food Guide.
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restaurant → pay → Guide
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