Pompei’s
Pompei’s trattoria, pizzeria and gelateria sees the Venetian backdrop of George Pompei’s childhood transplanted into the eclectic surrounds of Bondi. Inspired by John Ruskin’s exploratory text The Stones of Venice, the design channels the Byzantine use of tiles, mosaic and mirror that is characteristic of the Gothic architecture of Venice. The cool fresh colours of the tiles in the main dining room cast eyes outwards to the marine landscape of Bondi Beach beyond. In contrast, the adjoining dining room looks inwards and evokes the timber lined ‘stube’ of the mountainous region to the north of Venice to create a cosy den in which to enjoy Pompei’s renowned pizza. The reinvigorated Pompei’s offers an exciting dining experience while placing a fresh scoop of Venice into Bondi’s assorted sundae.
Location : Bondi, Sydney, NSW, Australia
Design Architect : Luigi Rosselli
Project Architect : Naoko Nishizu
Builder : ICMG Commercial Pty Ltd
Structural Consultant : Rooney & Bye Consulting Civil & Structural Engineers
Joiner : Uptown Group
Photography : Yann Audic
A Venetian-inspired facade establishes a distinctive presence within the Bondi streetscape through tiled surfaces and graphic articulation.
© Yann Audic
Layered material textures and mosaic details define a lively, open-plan hospitality setting, viewed from the bar and dining section.
© Yann Audic
Close-up of tiled wall cladding with display ledges for tableware, expressing the Byzantine-inspired material palette of ceramic, mosaic, and reflective surfaces.
© Yann Audic
Dining area with table arranged beside an open kitchen, where the layout supports visual connection between preparation and eating spaces.
© Yann Audic
Detail view of dining tables adjacent to varied tile-clad walls, highlighting shifts in texture, pattern, and colour across interior surfaces.
© Yann Audic
With its bi-fold glazing fully drawn back, the open-plan interior seamlessly bridges the kitchen and dining areas with the outdoors, broadening the spatial horizon toward Bondi.
© Yann Audic
Close-up of dining tables positioned beside glazing, where natural light reinforces the coastal relationship between interior and beachside context.
© Yann Audic
Reflective and patterned finishes of the layered tile cladding lead toward the gelato bar, imparting visual rhythm and architectural depth to the interior.
© Yann Audic
Table setting with cutlery arranged against a backdrop of tiled internal surfaces and filtered daylight.
© Yann Audic
The private dining room was conceived as an inward-looking "stube"-like space, lined in timber finishes and softly illuminated, creating a warm, enclosed atmosphere inspired by the mountainous interiors north of Venice.
© Yann Audic
The private dining setting incorporates timber-lined walls to evoke the traditional alpine stube, reinforcing a cosy, inward-focued spatial character distinct from the tiled main dining room.
© Yann Audic
© Yann Audic