Brighton-Le-Sands has a new Italian restaurant on the water, with Benetti’s now open inside The Brighton Hotel Sydney. Open daily from midday through to midnight, the venue leans into long lunches, late dinners and aperitivo culture, with house-made pasta, woodfired pizza and big-format cocktails designed to keep the table going well into the evening.
The drinks list is where Benetti’s really settles into its identity. Built around Italian aperitivo drinking, the menu keeps things sharp, bitter, and easy to drink. The Benetti’s Negroni for Two – lands as the centrepiece, combining Never Never Oyster Shell Gin, Campari and dry vermouth with a saline edge that gives it a coastal feel without trying too hard. There’s also the Arancello Spritz with Marmio Arancello and prosecco, built for afternoons that accidentally become dinner, while the Paloma alla Veneziana mixes mezcal, Select Aperitivo and grapefruit soda for something smoky and slightly bitter.
It’s a list that knows exactly where it is. Beachside drinking without frozen cocktails and gimmicks. Italian influence without becoming a theme park. The kind of menu designed for ordering one round too many because everything is built to stay light enough to keep moving.
Inside, the venue shifts with the day. Designed by Paul Papadopoulos of DS17, the room pulls from Amalfi Coast tones at golden hour, with soft peach, blush and white across lime-washed walls, textured plaster finishes and marble surfaces inspired by Italian modernist interiors. By day it plays relaxed and sunlit, but as the night rolls in and DJs take over, the energy lifts without losing the laid-back feel.
In the kitchen, Puglia-born Head Chef Mariocristian Carella leads a menu focused on Southern Italian cooking and share-style dining. A La Monferrina pasta machine imported from Italy produces fresh pasta daily using Molino Casillo flour, while a Marana Forni woodfired oven handles the pizza offering.
With strong cocktails, house-made pasta, and a beachfront location, Benetti’s is shaping up as an all-day spot built for long lunches, late dinners and everything in between.