Spezia

A new Italian restaurant with a piazza feel is gearing up to anchor the hospitality offering at The Lands by Capella precinct when it opens at Circular Quay next year. Tucked behind a narrow sandstone passageway and opening into a hidden courtyard, Spezia is the latest project from Melbourne hospitality and wellness group Florence Guild—the team behind hatted restaurant Freyja.

Blending Italian tradition with the “forgotten spices” once traded through ports like Venice and Genoa, Spezia aims to bring something new to a CBD already stacked with Italian options. As executive chef Jae Bang tells Urban List, the idea was shaped by the Renaissance-style architecture of the historic building. The goal: a restaurant that feels like “stumbling into a small Italian courtyard—warm, open-air and lively at any hour.”

The kitchen will be led by a seriously credentialled duo. Jae Bang (who earned three Michelin stars at Norway’s Re-naa and has cooked at El Bulli and Arzak) will oversee the venue, while Freyja head chef Aaron Caccia, originally from Lake Como, will relocate to Sydney to run the kitchen day-to-day. Their combined approach leans into handmade pastas, slow-cooked sauces and subtle spice-led flourishes. The standout dish to watch is the cavatelli alla nerano, a classic pasta folded with zucchini flowers, pink peppercorn and nutmeg.

"Venice was once the centre of the world’s spice trade, and Italian food was profoundly influenced by those flavours before they faded from everyday cooking," says Jae. "Spezia brings that history back into view, not by recreating old recipes, but by exploring what modern Italian food could look like if those spices had stayed part of the story. It’s Italian, just not the way most people might expect it."

Design-wise, the venue will lean heavily on its open-air courtyard. Venetian cues from the surrounding sandstone will guide the look, with light, texture and natural materials setting the tone for all-day dining.

They'll also be tapping into the broader shift currently occuring across the Sydney restaurant scene. 

"Sydney diners are gravitating towards venues that feel effortless yet refined, places where you can pop in for a quick bite or settle in for a long lunch, while Australia's overall dining culture is becoming more curious and adventurous."

Spezia is slated to open in April 2026 within The Lands by Capella precinct.

Image credit: Spezia | Supplied