Acclaimed Italian chef Alessandro Pavoni to lead food direction of the restored Town Hall Hotel in Balmain

From top end of town dining to revamped pub: acclaimed Italian chef Alessandro Pavoni will lead food direction of the restored Town Hall Hotel in Balmain.

Alessandro Pavoni outside the Town Hall Hotel, Balmain.

Sydney’s top Italian chef is taking on pub grub.

Acclaimed chef Alessandro Pavoni, of Ormeggio at The Spit and Crown Sydney’s a’Mare has become the culinary ambassador for Public Hospitality Group and will open a new venue at the iconic Town Hall Hotel in Balmain.

The Town Hall Hotel was first established in 1879.

Former investment banker and head of Public Hospitality Group Jon Adgemis bought the site in 2017 for $7 million and up until last month it was the home of a fitness and lifestyle centre.

Now the group plans to do an extensive 12 month renovation, restoring the outside to its former glory and transforming the inside into a multi-level dining experience.

Alessandro Pavoni and architect Tom de Plater inside the Town Hall Hotel, Balmain

It’s a big coup for the Public Hospitality Group to bring on board Pavoni, whose restaurants are consistently named among the best in NSW.

The project is particularly poignant for Pavoni, because it was where he first worked when he came to Australia over 20 years ago and where he met his now wife, Anna.

“It’s super exciting. When I came to Sydney, I didn’t understand a word of English and this is where I met my wife. So it connects with my heart and I work a lot with my heart,” Pavoni said.

The direction of the food is still being discussed but Pavoni said he will be keeping the pub classics.

“We will bring back the classics and what people expect from a pub but we want to do that really well. And there will also be Italian seasoning because I’m Italian,” he said.

“We have a couple of cool concepts we are talking about. I’m very excited about the space.”

Public Hospitality Group is run by Adgemis and with former Crown heavyweight Peter Crinis at the helm. Pavoni said being able to work with Crinis again, who he met through a’Mare was also a drawcard.

Public Hospitality Group’s architecture Tom de Plater said Pavoni’s attachment to the building has helped push the project along and give the hotel back to the community.

“From inception, the Town Hall Hotel has been a major meeting place for the local community … the refurbishment will serve to transform the building back to it’s original use as ‘a public house’ by way of boutique pub, including a holistic food and amenity offering,” said de Plater.

“The presentation of pubs is something the Inner West community cares deeply about and we are mindful that any proposal would need to not only incorporate this, but actively drive patrons through its doors to bolster success and guarantee longevity.”

In the past 12 months the group have become big players in Sydney’s Hospitality space by restoring old yet iconic inner city pubs like The Strand and Oxford House Hotel into multi-level dining, drinking and accommodation experiences, while still keeping their heritage features.

The restored Town Hall Hotel in Balmain is due to open in 2024.