We sit down with bar owner Raffaele Lombardi and talk aperitifs, opening a venue, and growing up in the city of Napoli.
Conte has a strong focus on aperitifs. How did you come up with this concept, and what inspired you to incorporate it as a core part of the bar’s offering?
It has always been a daily part of my life in Italy and a part of Italian culture. I grew up having aperitivo every day before lunch, then from the age of 18 I began to have it in the evenings too. As a younger person it doesn’t usually involve an alcoholic element, it generally bitters and as we grew older it then involved an alcoholic element from time to time, but not always. An early memory of mine was photographing weddings at the age of 14, when I began to work with my father, and enjoying an aperitivo with the photography crew before the wedding.
The interior design of Conte is unique and inviting. How would you describe the bar’s aesthetic, and what influenced your design choices when creating the space?
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The first Conte in Surry Hills was designed to feel as if you are within our home, it is personal, warm, and welcoming with rich colours, layers of artwork and soft lighting. The second Conte, in the city very much emulates the Surry Hills venue, but on a larger scale. The Bar itself is a grander statement and of larger scale within the venue. It has been positioned in front of the tall staircase and as a backdrop to the whole venue, it is very much a presence in the room.
The materials emulate Surry hills, using an intricate Italian Herringbone marble tile across the frontage, Verde Alpe marble top and a 40-year-old timber cabinet, which has been lovingly restored and adapted for this space. It too features the deep green colour, with brass doors and Alpe Verde stone. It showcases the quality offering of spirits with a special highlight running in the centre of the two cabinets where our Cognac Louis XIII by Rémy Martin lives.
Overall, the venue certainly leaves an impression on guests, we can see it as they enter. The space features dramatic 9-metre-high ceilings, lush velvet curtains, an inviting dining room with open plan kitchen that transforms from lunch service into evening as the lights dim, parquetry floors, our signature moss green tiles and unique collection of very rare Italian Posters. Our influence stemmed from our first venue’s design, our appreciation of travel throughout Italy, there is a nod to the bar culture of Northern Italy, to Italian Cinema and as always, our deep appreciation of ethereal lighting, which creates the romantic atmosphere we are very much inclined towards.
Starting a bar is a huge undertaking. What were some of the biggest challenges you faced in the process of launching Conte, and how did you overcome them?
Finding people who have an in-depth knowledge of Italian spirits, in particular Amari and Digestive. Importing some of the ‘rare’ bottles that you can only find at Conte.
Maximising a very limited floor plan in terms of size – Surry Hills only seats 48 people internally, but the intimacy of the venue is part of its success.
One element that was fundamental to us was creating a venue that showed genuine Italian hospitality, and I feel that at all turns, food and beverage, service, and style we offer that.
How did your personal background and experience in hospitality shape the way you run current bars today? Are there any lessons from previous roles that you brought with you into this venture?
I have been going out to bars and clubs since I was 14, in my hometown of Napoli and along the Sorrento Coast. There we have a culture of restaurants, seaside bars and well-known night clubs, most of which are in idyllic locations. It is an area where the people are passionate about hospitality, it is part of their culture, their pride in their food, in their produce in how they care for people through cooking and hosting. I grew up immersed in a culture of pride in this aspect.
We are known to have some of the best chefs in Italy, as well as the best Restaurants and Hotels in Italy, as well as the World. If you were to look at the Michelin Guide, you would see there is more restaurants with a Michelin star on the Sorrento and Amalfi Coast than in the rest of Italy. I stem from a family of people who are passionate about cooking and am also friends with very well know chefs. I have grown amongst a culture focused on cuisine and hospitality.
I then moved to Sydney and enjoyed what Sydney had to offer when I initially arrived but always felt that something was missing in terms of atmosphere and the quality of drinks.
I decided I wanted to create my own venue that felt more like you were stepping into our home than a venue. I wanted it to feel genuine. It is not about only the ‘business’ side, it is about giving to the clients who come in to enjoy our space, making them feel comfortable, to stay and relax, I wanted them to feel what we are all about, to feel what we enjoy ourselves at home.
We spent a great deal of our lives having friends over to our home and entertaining. In addition to this I have also designed venues of various types, in Italy, Singapore and Sydney, creating them for clients of ours. Although in these spaces I wasn’t able to have the freedom to create the exact vision I had without making any compromises, where as at Conte I have been able to design and operate it exactly as per my vision.
Looking ahead, where do you see yourself in the coming years? Are there any exciting plans or new developments in the works that you’re particularly excited about?
It is hard to foresee the future at present, especially as I find myself living between two countries, but one thing I can say is, ‘there is always more to come’.
