Sydney chef splits with business partner and takes control of Da Orazio Pasticceria

A top Sydney chef has taken back his Alexandria cake shop and renamed it Da Orazio Pasticceria — and to celebrate it will host a pop-up at his famed Bondi restaurant.

Orazio D'Elia at his business, now called Da Orazio Pasticceria. Picture: Damian Shaw

After six months of “hell” in which he thought he would have to close his business, Sydney chef Orazio D’elia has taken full control of his Italian pasticceria at Alexandria.

D’Elia opened the venue in December with business partner and pastry chef Riccardo Falcone, and called it Mia Dolci.

However the two have since split and D’Elia has now taken sole control of the business, renaming it Da Orazio Pasticceria.

“The idea to open the business in the first place was always mine but going in with a partner meant we came up with a new name,” said D’Elia.

“When he left I had two ways – I could close the doors or run it the way I wanted to.”

Orazio D'Elia pictured at his Pasticceria in Alexandria. Picture: Damian Shaw.

Da Orazio Pasticceria is an Italian cake shop, open pastry kitchen and cafe which serves homemade desserts like ricotta-filled cannoli, rum baba, torta della nonna and crostata di frutta, and by-the-slice focaccia slab-style pizza.

The move comes two years after the Naples-born D’Elia reopened his iconic Bondi restaurant Da Orazio after leaving it in 2018. The success of Da Orazio 2.0, which he originally opened with famed restaurateur Maurice Terzini before opening Matteo in Double Bay and the CBD (which he has sold his share in), gave him the confidence to keep the pasticceria.

The pasticceria also supplies the cakes to his restaurant.

D’Elia said being able to put his name on the venue made sense, even if wasn’t easy.

“Making the decision, I’ve had tears in my eyes and not a lot of sleep,” he said. 

Chef Orazio D'Elia out the front of his Bondi restaurant. Picture: Ben Dearnley

D’Elia in the original restaurant in 2014. Picture: Craig Wilson

“I went through hell over the last six months. I’ve been getting up at 1am and 2am to cook and also do deliveries. I’ve done so much from scratch.

“Putting my name, my face and reputation on the line, but since I’ve been in Australia, I’ve wanted to serve beautiful food and want to keep doing it. My name is my word and my commitment.”

Alongside the rebrand, D’Elia is opening a pop-up pasticceria at his Bondi shop on Wednesday, May 15.

Despite the cost-of-living crisis and recent spate of restaurant closures in the wake of Covid lockdowns, D’Elia said the industry was still a beautiful one.

“I have a tattoo on my skin that says: ‘In every battle you need to have faith’,” D’Elia said.

“And the story behind it is if we lose faith and hope, we are finished.”