As logos go, few perfectly capture a venue’s spirit like Bandit’s. A bear in a bandana balances on a front paw, legs raised to the sky; one precariously topped with a wine glass. It is fun, endearing and irreverent. That’s exactly what the team behind Prospect’s Anchovy Bandit and Bottega Bandito delicatessen and café were going for when they opened this suburban sibling in late 2022. It is inspired by the kind of hospitality often encountered in Italy; a warm, “Welcome to the family”.
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Here, dynamic front-of-house trio Kate Richards (formerly Africola), Jackson Clarke and Erin Rispen do the welcoming, guiding diners past bar perches and banquette seats to a dining room dotted with Hyde Park locals, many of whom drop in on a weekly basis.
Tiger prawns and native curry butter
Bandit is so much more than a pizza and wine bar, largely thanks to a menu compiled by executive chef Shane Wilson, who previously hit the tools at the likes of Orana and Hentley Farm. Head chef Antonio Pruner and his team are on full show as they construct dishes against a wood-fire hearth backdrop. The menu is inspired by Italian tradition but is certainly not confined by it. Take kimchi on pizza for example. Or zucchini, peperonata, buffalo mozzarella and fresh herbs; a green goddess in topping form. The snack and small plate offering is adventurous, too. Juicy corn on the cob arrives beneath a generous dollop of miso bagna cauda and a dusting of espellete pepper; smoked tomato ‘nduja on toast packs punch; and grilled flat beans are elevated to extraordinary heights with the addition of salumi XO and slivers of fresh spring onion. It is a medley of wow. So too, are spreadeagled tiger prawns bathing in native curry butter and a burst of warrigal greens.
Behind the bustling kitchen crew, a dry ager packed with Boston Bay pork hints at things to come. It appears later, in the form of a pork chop dressed in mustard and a smoked jus so sexy it’s pulse quickening.
The desserts of which there are two, are thoughtful. Grilled mango and panna cotta arrives topped with a refreshing burst of iced passionfruit, while berry clafoutis and Strega custard is like a hug from a voluptuous nonna; so very comforting.
Plenty of thought also goes into the drinks menu. An impressive non-alcohol list sits alongside a mix of fun cocktails (like a jug of boozy iced tea), rare Barolo and local collabs including Kangaroo Island Cabernet Sauvignon (made with The Stoke winemaker Nick Dugmore). The sparkling wine spans Adelaide Hills gems like the 2016 Mordrelle Blanc de Blancs, and French delights including cool grower Champagne, Huré Frères. Come one, come all. Everyone is welcome.
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