When Bicicletta opened in late 2010, it quickly gained a reputation for delicious, affordable and universally pleasing Italian fare. A creation of the owners of Pizza e Birra and Mille Vini in Sydney, it was a tried and tested business model that hit the ground running in Canberra, where it was located beside the already established Flint restaurant and Parlour wine bar. It didn’t take long for it to be considered among the best Italian dining in Canberra.
But in June this year all progress was thwarted when a fire threatened the historic buildings. While Flint and Parlour burnt to the ground, Bicicletta was lucky to escape the full brunt of the damage and was able to reopen just a few weeks ago in late September.
It was a sun-drenched Canberra spring afternoon when I headed down to sample Bicicletta’s latest offerings. Manager Aldo Littardi showed me around the fire-destroyed sites next door and stepped me through the long process to get the restaurant up and running again. The hardest challenge, he recounts, was recruiting and training new staff after being closed for three months. But all change brings with it new opportunities, and Bicicletta is seizing the moment.
The restaurant, with its expansive room, high ceilings and industrial vibe, has expanded from the bar and indoor dining area outside onto the New Acton courtyard. On the inside, while most features such as the oversized lampshade made out of bicycle-etched menus and exposed wall pipes remain, some long tables now feature to cater for large groups and breakfast and lunch buffets. The cosy library bar remains, with its specialised cocktails, lounges, cushions and scrabble boards in addition to the books.
A recently launched family-friendly staple event at Bicicletta is the Sunday buffet between 2 and 5pm. The buffet table itself is a feast for the eyes and showcases the highlights of the menu – crisp woodfired pizzas with sumptuous toppings, hearty pasta dishes and moreish starters such as arancini (deep-fried risotto balls) and seasonal asparagus carefully wrapped in superb prosciutto di parma.
While the word buffet often triggers flashbacks of childhood trips to Sizzler and Pizza Hut, a visit to Bicicletta is luxurious in comparison. As we journey through the various dishes, my favourites become apparent – the juicy, zesty grilled prawns and the tempting selection of desserts. But it is all too good – the food is the standard of a la carte dining but as much as you would like, and all at a fixed price. Typically, we continued to fill our plates in true buffet form until we were so full it was difficult to move.
At $47.50 a head, including your choice of beverage, it may not be the most refined dining experience in town, but it’s possibly the best way to spend a Sunday afternoon in Canberra revelling in a long, lazy feast. And with a separate supervised child area during the buffet, everyone is catered for.
As the only bar and dining venue in the Diamant Hotel complex at the moment, a versatile approach has been the key to rebuilding. The outdoor courtyard area is hosting everyday diners and private functions. It hopes to introduce some weekly events that take advantage of the space, such as screening films on the built-in screen and live music for diners to enjoy alongside their food on balmy evenings.
This vision behind the reopening – to create a hub of activity at the Diamant once again through an inviting, serene and communal space will undoubtedly make Bicicletta one of the dining hotspots in Canberra this summer. It’s back – revived, reenergized and better than ever.
Photography by Chris Whitfield.
