The final piece of Anchovy Bandit's expansion in Prospect is complete, with its sister café Bottega Bandito launching this week.

After a gradual five-month expansion, the Anchovy Bandit team’s takeover of the northern flank of Prospect’s Palace Nova Cinema building is complete, with the launch of Bottega Bandito this week.

Like Anchovy, Bottega Bandito draws on Italian hospitality culture, but now of the day-trade variety, serving up coffee, pastries, and a short breakfast and lunch menu, including a range of panini, designed by chef Shane Wilson.

The coffee comes from Dawn Patrol, who have created a house blend for the shop, and it’s likely Bottega Bandito will eventually serve a range of seasonal coffees from roasters from around Australia.

Alex Bennett

“We wanted to bring a bit of that Italian deli, espresso bar feel,” says co-founder of Anchovy Bandit and Bottega Bandito, Alex Bennett.

“So you go over to a deli in Italy, sit up at the espresso bar – it’s standing usually – and you smash back the espresso and get going, and then there’s a few bits and pieces you can grab.

For diners staying longer, the venue is “more of a lunch venue than a brunch venue,” Alex says.

“We are doing an all-day breakfast, just to cater to people who are out and about early, and then at 11:30 the paninis and the lunch menu kicks in.”

The panini offering was inspired by famous Italian sandwich shop All’Antico Vinaio in Florence, with Shane preparing sourdough focaccia in-house. The fillings are semi-traditional, with sopressa, mortadella, tuna and portobello mushroom options.

The lunch menu is where Shane has been able to inject the most creativity, Alex says.

Options include kangaroo tartare; zucchini and mushroom xo fusilli; ox-heart tomatoes, stracciatella and basil; and a Spencer Gulf prawn roll.

The menu will change regularly according to season and in accordance to the response from patrons.

While quick lunchtime service is a focus, there is also the option to linger longer in the booths lining the northern wall. If you are settling in for lunch, there is the option to add beer, wine or cocktails to the experience.

It’s a comfortable space to spend time in, with studio -gram providing design, bringing in art deco elements and plenty of warm tones. The identity of the venue came from Adelaide design firm Divide Design, who’ve created some wearable branding elements for the shop, including hats and t-shirts.

The espresso bar stands out for its bright blue panelling and pale pink espresso machine.

There are still some minor elements within the space to be finished, which will all be done by the end of next week, Alex says. At that point, he’ll be relieved to be able to focus solely on “service and product.”

“That’s looking very attractive right now. I’m looking forward to that,” he laughs.

Once Bottega Bandito is established, Alex may look to introduce Friday and Saturday night dinners to the offering. But for the time being, the café and deli operates 7am ‘til 5pm seven days a week.

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