Johnny Fontane's

"Imagine if the King of Swing and a mafia kingpin opened a bar together".

This is the promise of new Stanley Street joint Johnny Fontane's, which also brings Chicago Deep Dish to the menu of a major Sydney venue for the first time.

Inspired by the movie The Godfather, it is designed to be a space in which you might expect to find Sinatra at the downstairs swing bar, or the Mafia's elite planning business in the upstairs "gangster lounge" restaurant. There's also a Sicilian courtyard and a Cuban terrace to boot. That's right - Johnny Fontane's is designed as four distinct spaces in one, designed to pay homage to the heritage and influences of its namesake. While in words it perhaps sounds over complicated, in life the whole venue integrates nicely and the transition between spaces is subtle.

The overarching theme, however, certainly is not subtle, and evidently was not intended to be. The menu, the furniture, the portraits on the walls, the coffee table magazines casually lying around... commitment to a theme is strong here.

Founder Thomas Derricott is indeed no stranger to creative venue themes, as co-founder of Catmosphere, Sydney's space cat cafe. In this Darlinghurst venture he is joined by Andy Curtis of The Bear Bar - another quirky Sydney venue with a strong theme - who is responsible for Johnny Fontane's signature drinks list.

Patrons stepping in from Stanley Street first enter into the Rat Pack swing bar, where classic jazz oozes from the speakers and dimly lit tables slowly fill with casual diners enjoying a classic Italian cocktail and perhaps some antipasti or snacks.

The cocktail list begins with Johnny Fontane's signatures - an eclectic range of strong flavours of a decent variety. Nonna's Lemon Pie (vodka, crème de cacao, vanilla & lemon syrups, lemon juice, egg white, $18) promises to be "just like Nonna used to make" and certainly tastes like dessert, without being as overbearingly sweet as the name suggests. The Flamingo (amaretto, Mozart white chocolate liqueur, Massenez fraise, strawberry puree, crème freche, grated white chocolate, $19) on the other hand, is exactly as decadent as it sounds. One half of our party is not a fan, the other, a childhood strawberry milk fan, grins with nostalgia and devours the glass. Andy Curtis' touch is evident - the only drink anything like this we have tasted in Sydney is The Bear's signature Snow Candy drink.

High Society is a refreshing and simple gin number taken further with lime jam and Prosecco ($17). Already a favourite of many, One For The Road (whiskey, fireball, ginger wine, mead liqueur, lime, burnt cinnamon stick, $19) comes served over a sphere of ice with a chili inside and is a hit all round. For the less cinnamon inclined, opt for a classic Old Fashioned instead (from $17) or they also do a solid whiskey sour (made with Monkey Shoulder, $18).

Continuing a list of Italian classics, there are four versions of the Negroni, including a sloe gin option that takes the edge off the Campari slightly and would make a good introduction to this delicious beverage for Negroni newbies, and the Fat Tony made with grappa ($17-18).

Our verdict on the drinks list is that the signature cocktails (and Johnny's variations on classics) tend to err on the sweet side, which is clearly not a problem for most, but some drinkers might prefer to stick with the classics.

Food-wise, the leading lady is absolutely the Chicago Deep Dish. Not quite a pizza, not quite a pie, this much loved creation that is by no means easy to find in our city and has been the drawcard for many visitors to this new Darlinghurst bar already. Not a table in sight upstairs in the Gangster Lounge does not have at least one Deep Dish pan sitting upon it when Scoop visits, and despite the hefty size an impressive number of couples and pairs are finishing off the whole lot. 

We have to recommend starting with the classic Chicago recipe, here named The Capone, with pork and veal meatballs, herbs, a tasty tomato base and oozing with mozzarella cheese ($28, serves 2+). Unlike the pizzas we are used to in Sydney the deep dish requires longer baking time, which could burn the cheese if left on top, and so the ingredients are assembled 'upside down' with the stringy mozzarella cheese on the base topped with a chunky tomato and meatball sauce. The result is a sloppy, difficult to serve, absolutely delicious mess, that tastes not dissimilar from a spaghetti and meatballs dish...without the spaghetti. Watch your serving skills improve with each slice removed from the deep pan, and your grins evolve with the realisation that this glorious invention has been missing from your life for far too long.

There are three other deep dish options, The Luciano with spicy beef and olives, The Lucchese with pesto chicken and salami, and a vegetarian option The Gambino with eggplant, mushroom and zucchini (all $28, all to serve 2-4). Executive Chef Cy Gwynne (Longrain, Cafe Sydney) is onto a good thing here.

While you wait, you can enjoy some Italian style share snacks including arancini, meatballs and bruschetta, or a vegetarian pasta option ($17).

And in what seems to be recognition of the full bellies of deep dish diners, the dessert menu is small and simple, a choice between cannoli ($6) or lemon gelato ($4). The latter comes served in a trendy jar with threads of crystallised chili and is a fresh, tasty end to a hearty meal.

Kicking on? Staff can recommend a smooth after dinner drink, or a Cuban cigar to take out to the deck - but we'll leave that decision up to you and your body.

Johnny Fontane's joins a wealth of restaurants and bars on the popular Stanley Street precinct, and we think it offers something unique enough, done well enough, to stick around.