To rival Totti’s: The Camelia Grove Hotel transformed, with a new Italian restaurant from Alessandro Pavoni protege

Alexandria’s 150-year-old Camelia Grove has been reborn as a top-notch pizza haven with one with one of Sydney’s best Italian chefs at the helm.

Olds pub's big pizza transformation: The Camelia Grove Hotel in Alexandria is packing a punch with its new Italian menu. Pictures: Supplied

An old 1869 pub in the heart of Alexandria looks unrecognisable after a huge restoration that’s turned into it a top quality pizza haven, with one of Sydney’s best new Italian chefs at the helm.

The Camelia Grove is Henderson Road, Alexandria was a traditional pub owned by Adella Wright-Young for 38 years. In 2021 it was sold to the Public Hospitality Group who have transformed the pub into both a food, bar and hospitality destination.

Renowned Italian chef Alessandro Pavoni, who is working with the Public Hospitality Group, has brought in his protege and Michelin-trained chef Giuseppe Fuzio, to be in charge of the menu.

Fuzio has worked with Pavoni at Ormeggio at The Spit and Chiosco by Ormeggio from the day he arrived in Australia from Italy seven years ago.

Before that, Fuzio worked for Italy’s famous chef Simone Cipriani, both at his restaurant and on the cooking show ‘Identita Golose’.

Chef Giuseppe Fuzio, at the newly renovated, Camelia Grove Hotel in Alexandria. Picture: Justin Lloyd.

Fuzio has created a menu based on what Italians eat everyday and the food he likes to eat.

“It was hard at the beginning to step in from fine dining restaurants to understand what people want,” he said.”

Alessandro Pavoni with his Chef Giuseppe Fuzio. Picture: supplied.

But I’ve learnt Sydney might be a big city but it’s made up of small towns because all the suburbs have different customers, different types of food and service and different type of experience,” he said.

“I’ve come from Mosman, which is quite posh side of the city into Alexandria, which is more relaxed vibe.”

The highlight of the menu has been the pizza’s and woodfire bread, which one local reviewer declared was “better than Totti’s”, the famous Merivale establishment.

Fuzio explained the dough bases are rested for at least three days, which means the pizza is light.

Pizza by Chef Giuseppe Fuzio. Picture: Justin Lloyd.

The seafood pasta at The Camelia Grove. Picture: Justin Lloyd.

“Also, it means you can eat them a couple of times a week,” he said

“We want people to keep coming back. We offer accessible food, in an environment great for those families,” he said.

Historical photos of The Camelia Grove Hotel in Alexandria

The newly renovated, Camelia Grove Hotel, in Alexandria, today. Picture: Justin Lloyd.

While the food has been given a glow up, so has the pub itself. Jon Adgemis, the former investment banker behind Public Hospitality Group, bought the terrace next door to the hotel and has since knocked the wall between the two to create a large outdoor terrace.

The front section of the pub has also been carefully restored to honour the heritage of the hotel and the famous Camelia Grove larger is still available on tap.

The Camelia Hotel is next door to South Eveleigh precinct which is home to businesses like The Commonwealth Bank and Channel 7.

In recent years the area has become a hub of hospitality establishments with Merivale buying The Alex, or Alexandria Hotel, after there were plans to bulldoze the 150-year-old pub and replace it with apartment blocks.