Sfera

Located in Northcote Point, just minutes away from the city is Sfera—a café and modern Italian-style trattoria. Having just opened mid-December last year, this neighbourhood Italian bistro feels like it’s always been a part of the fabric along Queen Street, having just quietly slipped in and already a firm favourite with the locals. Located right next to Bridgeway Cinemas, this is the go-to spot for coffee with friends during the day or a spot of alfresco dining on these long summer nights. 

At the heart of Sfera is Loraine Reinsfield (fondly referred to as the mama of Sfera) who had Clarence Road Eatery at the space prior—a regular go-to for the locals. She’s a hospo force, overseeing the fit-out and renovations at Sfera (and at the same time, renovating her own home too), and making sure everything is humming smoothly with all the behind-the-scenes work.

While you won’t see her at the front, her son Jack is the General Manager, having recently returned from overseas with his partner Camille (a Le Cordon Bleu graduate, doing delicious baking in the kitchen), along with Head Chef Matt Ross (previously Candela). Jack and Matt have known each other since they were kids (as neighbours), and now as lifelong friends passionate about hospitality—you know the food and service is going to be exceptional from the get-go. 

Sfera feels light and welcoming, and as soon as you step in, it’s like stepping into summer. Textured walls, brushed gold finishings and lovely earthy tones in pottery can be seen throughout the open dining room. Marble tabletops and warm wooden chairs fill the space, with bistro curtains in a light white cotton along the front windows—letting natural light in but also giving some privacy from the tables out on the pavement.

The space opens to a semi-private dining space, with the bar and open kitchen on each side. The custom pizza oven from Florence takes centre stage behind the pass. Adorned with Sfera in mosaic, it’s the heartbeat of the place—as well as pizza dough, vegetables are charred and proteins cooked in the open flames. Chef Vinnie their pizza-dough whisperer slings woodfire pizza in perfect rounds—I watch the pizza being expertly manoeuvred in the hot stone as I stand by the pass, having a chat. Matt shows me the kitchen, and they tell me the whole back part of the kitchen has been opened up—with lots of kitchen gear from Candela now finding their new home here (including flatpacking a massive walk-in chiller). It’s a dreamy (and practical) space to work in. 

The menu is a love letter to what they love about Italian food and cooking during their time there together. Prior to Sfera opening, they all met up in Italy for R&D over two months (the dream), where they ate out at various places and ate in too—buying fresh produce from the markets and cooking together, with many different regions inspiring the dishes on the menu. It’s pared back to classics—they make pasta by hand fresh everyday, and have perfected their pizza dough to achieve that crispy base of a Roman-style pizza combined with a distinctly round Napoli shape, that makes it unique to Sfera—the word Sfera afterall means ‘sphere.’

The menu is relaxed and made for sharing—starting with small bites, like the fluffiest slab of focaccia with butter and anchovies, to the crowd-fave crispy calamari (but with zucchini added too—a nod to a delicious combination enjoyed while on their Italian food adventure). Shavings of rockmelon and prosciutto are brought together on a bed of whipped ricotta with honey and basil oil, and don’t forget those melt-like-butter lamb belly skewers (if you’ve missed them from Candela, you’ll be pleased to know they’re making an appearance here).

Sharing plates like their woodfire market fish (we had sweet fillets of snapper) is served with the juiciest clams, dressed in a blanket of beurre blanc and finished with pops of roe—you’d be silly not to order extra bread to mop up the sauce for this one. Green and red heirloom tomatoes from Heirloomacy are tossed with firm fragrant white-fleshed peaches, with a pangrattato-topped stracciatella in the centre (more bread, please) and we opted for comforting ricotta gnudi swimming in browned butter with crispy sage to complete our lunch. We’ll definitely be back for vodka chilli tomato rigatoni and the pork and fennel casarecce next time. 

With pizza flavours like classic margherita, pork and fennel sausage, pistachio-flecked mortadella (a personal fave) and zucchini with ricotta and honey to name a few on the list—surrounded by a beautifully blistered crust—you can’t help but have food envy at the neighbouring tables that ordered one earlier. It’s the kind of food that works with their extensive wine list (featuring chilled red and orange numbers too), as well as cocktails (and mocktails) or beer on tap. 

With the cinema joined to Sfera (you can literally walk through), it’s the perfect spot for a post-movie tiramisu with an amaretto twist, or scoop of refreshing tangy lime granita on mango sorbet too. For those after dessert of the liquid variety, you’ll be pleased to know vermouth or an amaretto sour are also on the list. 

With vibrant summer flavours, along with a glass of wine or their ever-popular spritz selection—Sfera transports you straight to what feels like an Italian summer in Tāmaki Makaurau.

Words by: Vicki Young 
Images: Sfera | Supplied