It’s a time of new beginnings at Alpha. In a Homeric tale of twists and turns,the CBD stalwart changed hands twice recently – passing from Peter Conistis to Public Hospitality,and finally falling with the Dedes Waterfront Group,owners of Flying Fish and Sala in Pyrmont.

You wouldn’t know it from the bottarga flecked taramasalata,which remains as light and lemony as ever,or the charred pita with a sweet,smoky scent that snakes through the room.

Executive chef Alessandro Mandelli,who trained under Conistis,has smartly kept the 12-hour molasses-glazed lamb shoulder on the menu,though he’s added his own signatures,none more appealing than the macaronada – Greece’s answer to bolognese – here reworked with scampi in a rich,velvety bisque.

The shifts haven’t shaken Alpha’s foundations too much,and we predict it won’t be long before it’s back at the top of its game.

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Sydney CBD

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