Flaminia

“After 21 years at Freshwater, we only wanted to expand if the setting genuinely made sense, and this spot at Circular Quay did.”

Giovanni Pilu and Marilyn Annecchini have spent more than twenty years building the Northern Beaches’ dining story through the lens of Pilu, and now, with their newest venture Flaminia, they bring that expertise to Circular Quay, translating Italy’s port-side spirit onto Sydney’s waterfront. The name itself—a deep honour of heritage.

“Flaminia is the name of the ship that brought Marilyn’s grandparents and family from Italy to Sydney in 1959,” Pilu tells Urban List.

“So there’s a quiet thread of migration and new beginnings woven into the restaurant. Most guests won’t know it at first, but the story gives the space a sense of history and meaning beyond the plate.”

For those that have frequented the Freshwater outpost and dined on the menu's cornerstone slow-roasted suckling pig, Flaminia guides a menu that’s lighter, and more spontaneous with the likes of Federico Porceddu, who has worked with Pilu for over ten years.

“It’s more flexible, and a little less fine dining than Pilu.The menu moves through Italy’s port cities rather than focusing on one region,” adds Pilu.

And it shows in every plate. Dishes carry the spirit of hometowns: spanner crab spaghetti alla bottarga nods to Cagliari, a limoncello baba with whipped mascarpone comes from Napoli, Murray Cod fillet draws on the canals of Venezia, a vongole from Genova, and Mooloolaba king prawns dressed with olives and capers reflect Palermo.

At the heart of Flaminia though, the crudo bar. Kingfish fillets, thinly sliced, curl into delicate rosettes on white plates. Prawns are arranged with a scatter of herbs or a brush of citrus. Freshly cracked oysters glint on slate platters, brine pooling at the base, garnished with microherbs and a subtle sprinkle of sea salt. The theatrics are an invitation to lean into the rhythm of the kitchen.

“We want it to feel fun, relaxed and easy, with elevated service that’s warm and welcoming,” says Pilu.

“It’s all about Italian conviviality and that effortless sense of being looked after, sharing good food, and enjoying the moment without any fuss.

Wines chart the Italian seaboard, from Liguria to Sicily, with Sardinian varietals in focus—bright, precise, and coastal. Cocktails mirror the journey: Venice’s La Via della Seta nods to distant horizons, Genova’s pesto Bloody Mary layers herbal complexity, and Cagliari’s Mirto Rosso Sour is tart, aromatic, and sun-soaked. 

As for the build, it’s curved banquettes and sculptural lighting from Studio Gram, a “light, textural space with a soft coastal palette” says Pilu.

“It feels refined but not formal; it’s stylish, warm, and designed to make people feel at ease the moment they walk in.”

 

Image credit: Flaminia | Supplied