Anchovy Bandit’s expansion one example of why Prospect Rd is the place to eat
Anchovy Bandit has expanded with an ex-Hentley Farm chef in the kitchen. It’s one of the hottest places to eat on Prospect Road right now.
Food & Wine
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A popular eatery in Prospect has defied the COVID odds by tripling its seating and expanding its kitchen with an ex-Hentley Farm chef at the helm.
Anchovy Bandit is now serving up contemporary (not always “traditional”) handmade pastas and Italian small plates alongside its pizza, whipped up by Shane Wilson (Bistro Dom, Hentley Farm) and 2IC Michael Henderson. Its dining area has had a revamp thanks to local designers studio-gram, and can now seat 64 diners under current restrictions – up from around 20.
“We started doing delivery in anticipation for the closure (in March), so we were pretty lucky,” says Alex Bennett, who owns the diner along with Oliver Brown and Josh Talbot. “It was scary, but we were lucky we had a takeaway-friendly offering at the time. We just got our bartenders driving their cars around.”
Fast forward several months and business is looking sweet. “Our focus is the pasta bar,” he says. Focusing on Italian as a cuisine is a first for Shane, so he’s drawing inspiration from myriad cuisines including Asian – try his pipis XO. “It feels Italian, it looks Italian, but the techniques behind it aren’t necessarily Italian,” Alex says. Wines also have an Italian slant.
Next month, the crew open an Italian-style delicatessen and cafe, called Bottega Bandito. It’s a show of confidence in the area.
“Prospect has really taken off,” Alex says. “Everyone seems to be thriving as best as they can, people are returning to the cinema … it’s really exciting.”
Nearby Asian diner Sunnys Shop meanwhile has recently launched weekend yum cha, and is taking bookings for Christmas.
Other popular Prospect Rd neighbours include Meze Mazi (Greek) and French patisserie, Muratti Cakes & Gateaux.
Anchovy Bandit is open daily 4pm-late, 96 Prospect Rd, Prospect