The unexpected hospitality hotspot emerging in Sydney’s suburbs – MASHAHER

The couple behind Surry Hills restaurants Arthur and Jane are heading south to Gymea in the Sutherland Shire, where they’re planning to open contemporary Italian-Australian restaurant Fior in late April.

Fior joins a growing hospitality scene in the Shire, strengthened over the past year by notable newcomers such as beachside Cronulla restaurant Bobbys, boutique Caringbah bakery Flour Coffee & Doughroom and brunch-to-dinner eatery Kin in Burraneer.

“It’s an emerging market … with a new cohort of great chefs and producers combining down south,” says Gymea local and head chef Tristan Rosier, who co-owns Fior with partner Bec Fanning.

The pair long planned to open a third venue, but found the inner-city market “massively over saturated, with everyone fighting for a limited number of clients”.

“We saw a huge opportunity in the Shire – lots of people have moved to the area, and when they want a certain level of restaurant experience, they usually travel into the city,” Rossier says.

“We want to bring that to them and show people what’s possible here.”

But don’t expect to see another Arthur – Rosier and Fanning’s intimate, fine-dining restaurant with a multi-course set menu of modern Australian dishes such as saltbush and kangaroo tartare, starting from $120 per person.

Rather, Fior aims to become a fun, neighbourhood meeting place with big, family-friendly tables, a sharing menu of seasonal Italian classics, and a touch of tableside theatre (hello, roaming gelato trolley).

It’s a large, 120-seat restaurant with a cool, contemporary Italian feel – the sun-drenched space completely transformed from its former life as Caruso’s Restaurant and Pizza Bar, which closed in March after 25 years of trading. Interiors are designed by Luchretti Krelle, and feature brushed stainless steel, deep blues and long oak bars.

The menu, created with former Arthur head chef Will Lawson, will feature around 20 antipasto items, a selection of seafood and steak mains, and about six pasta dishes, such as cavolo nero pesto pasta. Egg pasta will be made fresh in-house each day, with an extruder so large it’s capable of churning out 18 kilograms of pasta every hour.

By combining their commitment to using (almost-exclusively) Australian produce with Italian cuisine, Rosier says the menu at Fior can “hit super competitive price points, as it’s relatively more affordable to put together”.

“Italian is also very approachable, so we hope there’ll be something on the menu for everyone – whether you’re taking grandpa out for his 80th birthday or having lunch with the girls,” he says.

Diageo World Class Australian Bartender of the Year for 2023, Eduardo Conde (El Primo Sanchez) has developed the drinks menu, creating Italian cocktails with an Australian twist. There’s also an 80-strong wine list championing Australian winemakers using Italian varietals.

Fior will open for dinner seven days a week, and for lunch from Friday to Sunday.

756 Kingsway, Gymea, fiorrestaurant.com.au