Vapiano in Sydney's CBD is a popular, laid-back Italian spot known for its made-to-order fresh pasta and hand-stretched pizzas. It's currently located in the historic Grace Hotel, and will apparently be moving to the Pitt Street area in just a few weeks. Gayle, Mark, Jennifer, and I recently met here for dinner. On couple went for the pizza, while the other did pasta, with a bottle of red wine all around. The portions were generous, the conversation sparkling, and the service friendly and fun. It was one of those evening where the total exceeded the sum of its parts, especially when meeting up with old friends after a too long absence. read more

Vapiano is one of my all-time favourites. No matter where I am -- London, America, or now Sydney -- I will ALWAYS never not go to Vaps. Can't wait to be back in the UK and go again! My go-to order is the campanelle arrabbiata. The fresh pasta is amazing, the sauce is spicy and full of flavour, and the bread on the side is perfect. It's always made fresh and tastes so good every single time. The vibe is chill, the service is quick, and the food hits the spot. If you love pasta, you can't go wrong here. read more

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Restaurant looked nice but was lacking. It wasn't busy but one poor girl seemed to be the primary one working. Host was on his cell phone most of our visit. Food would be ready (they ring a bell) and no one would run it. You order from a QR code and then they bring drinks and food. It took awhile for the drinks to come. The food was lacking. For $17, a descent portion of watery burrata with two small pieces of bread. A salad with barely any chicken. Meh. Huge space with potential. I don't intend to return but wouldn't discourage someone from trying it. read more

Walking all around the CBD and in dire need to relax our tired feet and feed our bellies. Google with the save. This time, we enjoyed Italian. There was no wait, so seated quickly. The host noticed my mom walking in with a cane so he placed us on a low table and gave her a chair with a backrest. The place was well lit with lots of tables (2 levels). We shared a Caesar Salad, Beef Cheek Ragu, Chicken Carbonara and Truffle Oil Pizza. I don't know if it were hungry but the food was tasty. We left with full bellies and satisfied. My mom kept raving about how they make their own noodles because it was thick and filling. The bread with the pasta was soft. Cons: We were thirsty and had to wait until we got our sodas before getting served water. The ordering app kept glitching. Resulting in delayed ordering and eating. read more

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What a cluster. Ordering via QR or at the bar only. Food turned up randomly or not at all. Was so so at best. Why do you not have proper ordering processes? Plenty of other choices in town. Try somewhere else. read more

I fell in love with Vapianos in Europe and was SO excited to find out that there was one here in Sydney while I'm on vacation/holiday. The pasta is al dente and you can't go wrong with whichever one you choose. All are full of flavor and delicious. The pasta is made to order! Friendly staff. read more

Vapiano - Italian Near Me - Sydney, NSW

This place is located in the Grace hotel. You place your orders and then find a table. A pager then informs you when the food is ready. It is a popular place to eat and can be fairly busy. Cool dining area. The appetizers were very good - caprese and antipasti (see photos). The pizzas were good size and a decent variety of options (see photos). They were not short on the toppings. It took about 25-30 minutes to get the food as would be expected for ordering pizza. Good option overall read more

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I wondered into Sydney for the day and when lunch came around I had the sudden craving for pizza. Vapiano was steps away. I walked into a full restaurant, The hostess said come back in 25 minutes but you'll get a text when we've got a spot, left my number for a text. 25 minutes later I walked in without a text, a table was ready, however I never received a text. We were sat at our table where we noticed the QR menu/ordering system. This was the first major issue, as a Canadian we are always waited even with QR menus. Having to create an account and put an Australian phone number in is impractical and a waste of time especially if you're a tourist who didn't buy an Australian phone number. The lack of proper waiters was the largest issue. I had to walk up to the counter to grab a bottle of water and glasses. The table around us had waited 30 minutes for their wine, and another table had been waiting over an hour for their food, these people could only talk to the people running food since there are no proper waiters. My girlfriend and I ordered pizzas, and surprisingly hers came fast and about 20 minutes before mine was brought out. I can't believe the ordering process asked for a tip before you had any service it was crazy especially since there was practically no service and what was there was terrible. This no waiter operation is terrible and I'm sad to say I've seen more places like this, yet not nearly as bad. The restaurant was nice and clean and was sorta Italian feeling but as a Canadian I've had a better experience at a food truck. read more

Fresh pasta, made on the spot while you spy on the chefs. I may have made mine feel slightly uncomfortable. I suppose the pasta depends on which chef you get, mine was slightly over cooked but the GFs was nice and al dente. Seasoning was varied too, hers being a little bland while mine was perfect. The lunch deal is definitely worth it at $12, but not too sure about the dinner pricing. Anyway, it's affordable. Nice ambience, good decor and friendly people. Lots of seating and good for groups. Bar is a nice touch. read more

Vapiano - Italian Near Me - Sydney, NSW

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Food was a bit boring, male waiter quite rude. Starter came last for some reason? For the price of the food I would definitely go somewhere else read more

My autistic cousin loves the food here! Will definetly come back. The service was very good and nice ambience.

Located in the historic Grace hotel it has an old world charm with a modern twist! Menu seems reasonable, good variety! I went Caesar Salad, not the best I had as opted for chicken as an extra but not easy to find the chicken pieces. The egg seems to be awol as well. Buzzer service and good tunes playing to add to ambience. A cross between a diner for the masses and a cafeteria. read more

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So the line is the real issue. It takes about 5 minutes per person to be served. If you see 40 people in front of you be prepared to wait 1:30 because each person is getting 2 dishes. One lady got 8 dishes in front of me. She waited 40 minutes for the food to be made. So for yelp I roughed out the line and tried the food. Normally after waiting almost 2 hours and being starved anything would taste good, right, not this place. The food is sub par and some of the chefs have no training. The lady that made my food left oil in the pan so long it caught fire and a supervisor had to put it out. So try to pick the more seasoned chef. The meals are made in front of you so expect your entire body and clothes to smell of cheap old food the next day. The seating is not an issue since it takes so long to get a table you will never have an issue getting a seat. It takes them twice as long to make the food as it will for you to eat it. So how is this place 3.5 stars? If you get a salad or a pizza they will make it and bring it to your table. If you get a pasta dish be ready to stand over an hour. Its 5 minutes per person in front of you and plan on each person to order 2 dishes read more

This place was outstanding. The house lemonade wasn't that good but the food was great on point read more

Wow this place gets busy! Dropped in with a group of 10 for lunch and joined the very VERY long pasta queue. If you haven't been here before, the idea is you join either the pasta or pizza queue, and then wait till you're at the counter where your order is cooked before your very eyes. I grabbed the mushroom risotto with extra chicken. The risotto was perfectly cooked. Creamy, fluffy rice with yummy chicken and mushroom. I grabbed a salad on the side too which was fresh and crunchy. A couple of people in our group grabbed pizzas. They took a while but looked good when they finally arrived. Will be back for dinner! read more

Vapiano - Lunch time - Italian Near Me - Sydney, NSW

A rare gem in the city. Beautiful setting in a gorgeous old-worldly architectural building, lively atmosphere, great food at a good price. Well trained, excellent and friendly wait staff - swift service, with a smile :) Very well run, will definitely be back! read more

Vapiano - Italian Near Me - Sydney, NSW

When one door closes, another opens. . . into THE FUTURE. Also, happy hour. The bar we wanted to go to was closed, so popped across the street to the bright lights and big windows of Vapiano. A girl trotted up and gave me a thing that looked like a credit card, winked and said "You'll need this." Well that all depends on how many Frequent Flyer Points I get with it sweetheart. That card is the payment system here, it's super tekonogikal - you swipe it over a black panel at the bar every time you order something and pay at the end. Marvellous, I was swiping it just for fun like a kid with his first iPad. I was here for a beer meeting and there were tables downstairs but lo! Head up, young man. There lies a mood-lit secret lounge with couches on which to chill and drape yourself and such. We didn't eat but I'll be back to, the pastas looked like the bomb diggedy, and the long clean pine wood tables with friendly desk lights are super inviting place to eat. And the happy hour, you guys. From 4-6pm every day spirits, wines and beers are $4. Four bucks. That's . . . I don't even know what that is. Just give me all the booze. read more

Vapiano - $4 cocktails at happy hour! - Italian Near Me - Sydney, NSW

The ambience upstairs is simple yet totally rocks as a perfect after work locale, whether to feed that hungry tummy or just to unwind. Bistro style feels a little weird, yet you get used to it. The winners are their soups, especially in spring: I just love the pumpkin soup ($6.90) with herbs, parmesan cheese, croutons and two slices of the freshest bread to soak it all up. Now you can help yourself to some water. Perfectly complimenting for a healthy person. Great value for money here. For the sweet tooth, the Panna Cotta ($5.90) in a jar is just a sweet release. Oozing with flavour and spark. A perfect place to snap open the laptop with your own wireless connection, and tap tap tap away if you have a bit of work to do. Great music too. Not keen on the pasta or pizza here. Love helping myself to a taster of the delicious sauces dipped in bread while I am waiting for my soup to be prepared at the antipasti counter. My weekday after work destination of choice when alone, and once (or twice) a fortnight to chill before heading home. read more

Vapiano - Simple sweet paradise in a jar... - Italian Near Me - Sydney, NSW

The concept is fresh pasta and pizza cooked right before your eyes, in a chic modern European style cafeteria. Everything is self service. It almost reminds me of a restaurant version of Ikea. Upon stepping in, the staff present you with a card and menu. The card is swiped when you make a purchase and when you leave the restaurant, you pay the balance on the card. The value of the card is $75 and you may pay this is you lose the card so make sure you don't lose it! Pastas - line up in a queue in front of 3 or 4 cooks and choose from a selection of around 20 pasta dishes, with your choice of pasta. It's cooked right before your eyes. The downside is the wait can be quite a while. A side of bread is also served free of charge (I don't get why they serve carbs with carbs though). I've been 3 times. The pesto pasta is quite good but some others can be bland. That's ok though, there are salt and pepper shakers on each table, along with balsamic vinegar and olive oil. There are also small basil plants and our group debated over whether they were condiments - but decided they might be a bit unclean to eat, with everyone being able to touch them. Pizza - order at a separate counter and a buzzer will be given to you, so that you can go back to collect when ready. You can watch the pizza being made and cooked through the clear glass. There are also salads and a small corner wine bar area. read more

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The Grace hotel has revamped its ground level restaurant. What used to be an already's stylish dining place has now gotten even more stylish. You never thought you could have your own chef prepare your own meal? No more. Entering the Vapiano you're greeted by an assistant to explain the system: You basically get a charge card and choose from the menu. You'll then head over to the respective section (e.g. antipasto, pasta or pizza) to order, swipe your charge card and then have your dish prepared. You get a buzzer for those dishes that take longer to prepare such as pizzas. Once you have your dish(es) and drink(s) (which you also charge to your charge card) enjoy them in the very stylish, Italian country-inspired setting. On each table you'll find salt & pepper grinders as well as olive oil, vinegar and even basil and rosemary plants. Desk lamps and black-and-white photos on the walls around round-off the setting. The loungey music was a bit too loud for my taste. In fact the whole settings seem so Italian inspired that you would probably feel like having your own Italian cappella next to you in your face. "Ooooh sole mio, sta 'nfronte a te!" The pasta dish (ravioli rukola) came unfortunately in antipasto size instead of main size. And though a bit pricey it's still a pretty good experience, visually and tastefully. Oh, also try the toilets. They've a communal hand wash area. read more

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The food tasted so good! Once you enter the restaurant, it transports you to Florence for traditional, delicious Italian food. The ambience is loud and but also there's something comforting about it. You can create your own pizza and dishes - just ask the friendly staff! There's also complimentary bread with your pasta! Their dessert is also so good, with the Nutella cheesecake my absolute favourite. Tip: did you know the little basil plants on the table are edible? How cool! So make sure you come check this place out! read more

Vapiano - Delicious entree at the yelp event! - Italian Near Me - Sydney, NSW

Love, love this place! Great ambience . It was happy hour too with some great beer,wine and cocktail Specials . The menu caters for vegans and vegetarian options too which is a big one. The line up isn't too bad if you go early and your food is freshly prepared in front of you. We opted for pastas and got a slice of bread to go with it . I highly recommend this restaurant! read more

Vapiano - Great happy hour deals! The olives are an absolute must if you are an olive fan! - Italian Near Me - Sydney, NSW

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Went there at lunch today. Luckily I got there around 12:15pm. The lines for the pasta was so long. As a result waiting 30mins before I was served. So all up 45 mins before I got my food to go to eat it quickly at the office. The bread that they offer with the pasta tasted great. Pasta itself, nothing to write home about. I had the pesto pasta. I found the pasta was just a little undercooked. Sauce was good and serving size quite big. Although for $17 it wasn't cheap either. The restaurant itself was bright and modern. Appealing decor. If I was to go back I might go super early or late to avoid the lunch time rush. read more

Vapiano - Italian Near Me - Sydney, NSW

Who doesn't love it Italian? Pastas and pizzas are made fresh to order in front of your eyes. Choose you pasta style, sauce then do need a dash of chili or extra garlic? Let the chefs know how you like it. They have a card system where you tap and they record all your purchases. You then fix the bill up on your way out. Super handy for group bookings! read more

Vapiano - Pesto Chicken with the house red - Italian Near Me - Sydney, NSW

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The worst thing about this restaurant would probably have to be the seating. Being a Saturday night, it was quite busy and the only seating available was bar stools which in my opinion, isn't ideal for a restaurant. You have to line up to order your pasta which you tell directly to the chef and you watch them make it. I guess that could be good because you can see if they do something dodgy. However, it sucks when your pasta is done and you're waiting for your partners pasta to be cooked. I haven't previously been to a restaurant where they use the card system. It was a bit confusing at first but it's quite innovative. Overall, would come again but next time I would order something different. read more

Vapiano has some excellent food and cocktails with a great atmosphere. The card system can be good when used in a group setting but can be cumbersome when dining with just 1 other person as the cards only allow you to place $100 on them. Waiting for your pasta to be cooked is a cool touch but can make it difficult when your partner is waiting at your table within a busy restaurant and you're sole job in life is to ensure her oast read more

Vapiano is an Italian with a difference. The key difference being your in control of what you order and how you would like it. The main options are Pizza and Pasta. You get to choose the type of pasta you want with your selection and for the pizza how you would like the base. When you enter the venue you are given a card by the Maitre Dee which isn't their nice way of saying it's all on our credit card because your amazing. It's used when you order and you pay it off at the end. The pasta is ordered in one section and pizza in another. They also have a bar on the other side too. You can have more then one card too if you want one person ordering pizza while you order pasta. Pretty cool system. The food is cooked in front of you. We ordered a pasta and a pizza. The pasta was chilli orange Chicken which was awesome. Really quirky taste with the right amount of kick. The pizza was the Tuscan which had a lot of pepperoni on it which is always good. Probably the best thing about this place for me though was the basil plants on every table. You can add fresh basil leaves to your pasta or pizza. Of course if your like me you can just eat the whole plant because it's fun. I would say it's a nice restaurant for a casual lunch or dinner and it's creative and quirky which makes it fun for everyone. On another positive they source all their produce fresh from local suppliers with 150km. You can also leave with a gob full of gummy bears too. read more

Vapiano - Italian Near Me - Sydney, NSW

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A bad choice for a date here on a Friday night. Yes, 2 stars because I've experienced better! The tables near the door/ bar area can be quite noisy, so go for the tables near the pizza counter or upstairs if you want a decent conversation with your dining partner. Friday night here was a bad idea because it was busy! (duh). Since there was no waiter service and pasta was a popular choice amongst diners, I waited 20 mins in line for someone who made my pasta in front of me (that's pretty cool). My pasta dish was alright....the pasta was cooked al-dente but the sauce was a little too heavy and creamy for me. Still, the math doesnt add up. $21 for a plate of pasta , in a restaurant with no waiter service....and 20 mins in line?! Nope, never coming back, at least not on a Friday night. Im quite sure I can find similar or if not better pasta for the same price elsewhere in the city. read more

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Food seems fresh and cooked in front of you but understaffed and the ordering system (walk to the area and line up and take away, like a cafeteria) just breaks down when it's busy. Ordered a beer and they said they'd bring it out to us and had to go back to the bar 15 min later to ask for it. Food was no better or cheaper than if we got proper service so I don't see the benefit of the glorified cafeteria model. read more

Vapiano - Cream pasta with mushrooms - Italian Near Me - Sydney, NSW

The food was good. The service was a bit slow considering there was hardly anyone else there at happy hour. And the ambiance was also enjoyable until we were rudely interrupted by the manager. He just marched straight up to us and asked for the person who made the booking and then started telling us off for making a booking for happy hour and a second booking for dinner (made by a different person). He said he was "so shitty" when he found out we made the second booking and that we had "played" him. He said he couldn't believe we had done this when he had already said that they were fully booked. I was so stunned at how rude he was I didn't even reply to his rant. My friend who was with me politely offered for us to pack up the remaining food and leave. He said we could just stay now but he was very upset with what we had done and then just walked off. Wow. That's how you talk to your customers. Rudely butt in and then tell them off even though what we did wasn't outside the terms of booking. And we were paying customers. Still trying to figure out exactly what we did wrong. They weren't fully booked because the app offered multiple booking slots, and when we got there for happy hour it was dead. Maybe 3-4 tables were occupied and that didn't really change until closer to 5pm. After happy hour we could always see at least 2-3 empty tables the whole time we were there. We could only make a one and a half hour booking - so I did for happy hour. And we wanted to have dinner afterwards so logically my friend made the separate booking for dinner. Where does it say we can't do this? And we were paying customers so why do we have to go somewhere else to eat? We were having a good time until we were so rudely interrupted and told off even though we were within our rights to make the bookings. Usually a nice place to eat and relax. Beware of one of the rude managers that works there. read more

Our first visit was a success. It's like fast food but tastes better. Ordering is different than at most places but they explain it to you when you walk in. I got the garlic pizza and my friend got the carbonara. Not we're very good. If I lived in Sydney this place would probably be a regular for me. read more

We've been to Vapiano in New York before and had really high hopes for the newly opened restaurant in Sydney and it surely delivered to those expectations. The scent of basil and fresh food when you walk into the restaurant is a great experience on its own. We had bruschetta for starters, you get two bread pieces and lots of topping on it, Id' say that one bruschetta order is OK for two, depends on how hungry you are. Then we had the Cabonara as a main, one with panne and one with tagliatelle. The cabonara was extremely good, it's by far the best one we've had in Sydney so far. This is definitely the go to place for us in Sydney and we will certainly take all of our friends and family here. Can't praise this restaurant enough! read more

Now this is an interesting place - for its method of buying food and drink... Let me explain. You are given a swipe card and menu upon entry, which you use at a buffet style ordering area where you can watch your food being prepared. Then when you are leaving you again swipe your card at the registry to determine your bill. This of course is a great idea if you are having lunch with a group of work mates - so easy for implementing a 'split-bill'. But you came here to eat, pasta or pizza, and you wont be disappointed. The food is great, although the servings are of a modest proportion. Overall, a great place for some nice food with a small group of friends. read more

We ordered a margherita pizza, Cremona di fungi pasta and a rocket salad. All items were well prepared and fresh. In addition the price was great as well. I'll definitely be back! read more

maybe i'm a sucker for cheese and carbs.. came here bc of a recommendation from a fellow cute abroader very nice and open seating with variety in mood type. there's a quieter upstairs with dimmed lights and warmer air with a bar we dined in the lower floor bar on the lower floor too cute interior high ceiling nice table set up: condiments and fresh potted growing parsley (?) on the table food is fresh and delicious had the funghi risotto and the carbonara with linguine sososososo delicious everything was freshly made in front of you carbonara with linguine ($21): creamy sauce, tasty flavors, perfect noodle bite consistency, no overbearing or overwhelming attacks to the tastebuds funghi risotto ($19): thick cheesiness to hold the rice together, melty bites each bite also they had gummy bears at the cashier for dessert? come here it's yummy read more

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This place can best be described as a self service Italian restaurant. As you walk in the door the staff give you a credit card which you swipe as you order food and drinks. To pay, the staff will swipe the card which brings up the total bill. To order you go up to the counter and wait in line to order. The chefs make your order while you wait which is great as you get freshly made food. There is a 20min wait for food which bad if you were starving as I was. It is made worse by being able see the food being made in front of you and calling out to you! The menu itself is extensive with large varieties of pizza and pasta options available. I ordered the gamberi with linguini pasta. It was average with the pasta having all clumped together in a huge heap. The sauce was nice but nothing special. It did have a nice chilli kick though. The place does have a great ambiance with alot of the after work crowd coming for a bite to eat. There are large communal tables upstairs for groups and it is a great place to catch up with friends. read more

Love the concept here. Everything here is fresh, there's basil plants on the tables where you can pluck a few fresh leaves to put in your food and there's also olive trees. All the food is also sourced locally and at the recent Elite event, we were told that all the food had low food miles; everything has to be produced less than 150km away. It's hard to get it any fresher than that without growing everything yourself. The only exception to the 150km rule are the gummy bears at the cashier, which is from Germany. When you enter, you are given a restaurant card where you put all your purchases on. The food is ordered at the counter, whereas drinks can be ordered from your table. You're given a buzzer when you order pizza, which is the same kind of buzzer as those at the pubs. The atmosphere here is good and I think the lighting and the greenery from the basil plants gives the place a really nice feel. Oh and the food is great too, which is always a bonus. Definitely worth checking out! read more

Tucked away on York St and corner of King, Vapiano has an interesting setup. At first glance it's focused on good food with made in front of you setups where in a few minutes your pasta or pizza dish is ready. Sadly, the card system that has been setup here isn't great and has lead to some awkward situations. If you aren't aware, you get a plastic card and swipe it when you order your meal and then take the card to pay at the end. At first this seemed like a good idea, until you gotta be responsible for this card...like I need another thing to be responsible for! I just want to eat! I worked in the area, so we went every now and then...however I wouldn't recommend the pizza from here. You can get some much nicer Pizza elsewhere in the vicinity. All in all, pasta is good here considering what your paying for, nice atmosphere for a dinner with friends after work, or lunch but food and experience let it down. read more

Went here for lunch as I had walked past this place a few times and it always seemed busy. Realised that when I went in, the orders were taken at the kitchen counter. The pasta line was long as they were cooking the dish when the customer ordered, salad queue was non existent but I didn't come here for salad so the pizza line was the choice for me. Ordered prosciutto e funghi pizza, swiped my card to register the order and grabbed my buzzer. Only took about 5 mins before my order was called out, enough time to order a drink at the bar and grab a table. Pizza was thin and crispy with the toppings spread evenly. What was missing was the charred underside of the base and smokey flavour from a traditional wood fired oven. Okay place to get your pizza fix in the city and with awesome service from myself :) probably come back here next time to try the pasta but will need head in early. read more

This is not a review, this is a question. And the question is: Why?! Why Italy allows these places to stay open?! They do not use salt, everything is simply tasteless. Pasta was overcooked. The sauce was undercooked. Bruschetta is not a bruschetta: it's olive oil, garlic and tomatoes on a piece of bread. It is supposed to be crispy, well surprise: it's juicy. Mozzarella is as tasteless as the pasta, they put pesto on top of it (seriously?). Even olives tasted very badly. Only salami and ham were edible. Ah I gave 1 star only because we got the antipasto for free (their mistake). Not for Italians, sconsigliatissimo! read more