Tristan C.

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.

Amanda W.

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.

Ian K.

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

Richard H.

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.

Brad D.

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.

Craig C.

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!

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!

Benjamin B.

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.

Justine C.

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.

Eugenie C.

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.

Jorg A.

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.

Ann L.

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!

Taryn M.

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!