Natalie Fazzari and Alessandro Ennor are bringing the Enzo's Ristorante tradition with a twist into the CBD, with a new Italian eatery heading to Rundle Street in September.

As Natalie Fazzari and Alessandro Ennor make their way to the interview, they bloom in loved-up excitement. The recently engaged couple sit down with CityMag to discuss their recent activities on Rundle and how they intend to grow the Enzo’s offering.

Natalie is the daughter of Enzo Fazzari of Enzo’s Ristorante, and with her Milan-born partner Alessandro, she wants to expand her new idea of Italian food to the CBD with Enoteca Lounge & Cucina.

“Of course, we have family and we already in hospitality… what it brings to us is freshness of food and union and service,” Alessandro says.

“But in a same time, we think the new generation is different. We think, as well, we are different  – but we have the same value inside of our heart.”

Natalie says her dad Enzo and uncle Damiano make all their Enzo’s Ristorante guests “feel like they were VIP”, and wants to emulate this at Enoteca.

“The top things that people comment on the Enzo’s experience is the service from Damiano and how he just made people feel special… you know they were being looked after,” Natalie says.

Where the charcoal magic happens

However unlike the well-established Enzo’s, Enoteca Lounge & Cucina will have a large focus on shared meals, with the inclusion of charcoal to bring a fresh and earthy taste to simple ingredients.

“You might see a little bit of a similarity to the dishes that we’ve previously had at Enzo’s in terms of the flavour profile, but in a different way,” Natalie says.

“We want to be like ‘Oh, I recognise those flavours, but my eyes are seeing something different and there’s something new’.”

“We start again with the freshness… the charcoal can define the freshness we’re trying to achieve here,” Alessandro elaborates.

With an entrée, pasta and main menu, Alessandro reiterates the food is going to highlight contemporary Italian cuisine.

Renos are in process

Although the address states Rundle Street, the restaurant has a back entrance into the heart of Ebenezer Place, facing East End Cellars.

At the Vardon Avenue entrance, the back half of the venue will be a casual bar with a focus on wine and good company, whereas the entrance on Rundle Street will lead to a traditional restaurant.

“Getting that Rundle Street exposure is great [and] what’s really unique about our venue with two entrances,” Natalie says.

“That’s the angle that we’re going for — a very wine focused venue, which is fitting for where we are. It really gives off that, you know, wine, chatting, nibbling, enjoying sort of vibe of Vardon Avenue.”

The bar will be light and bright, with green stone touches and an open kitchen to watch where the magic happens.

The restaurant will have communal booths fit for large groups and will attract the Rundle Street crowd as a wine-centric dining experience.

To tie in with the charcoal and earthy themes, black marble will be used throughout the restaurant, with burgundy as an accent colour.

Communal couches in the making

Natalie’s strong ties to her Italian heritage have made her passionate about food being more than  just fuel on a plate — for her and Alessandro it’s the memories and links to what the food represents.

“Being in the family business and growing up, literally being born into Enzo’s, it’s given me that great experience and an experience that not many people have,” Natalie says.

“It’s a nostalgia thing. I grew up feeling Italian and being around the dialect and being around the salsiccia, and the sauce, and doing all those cultural traditions.

“At the end of the day — that stuff we live in. It’s the same that we try to bring on the plate.”

Enoteca Lounge & Cucina is located at 281-283 Rundle Street, Adelaide and is slated to open in September. Connect with the business on Instagram for more.

Hurry up September