From family kitchen to Italian dining destination
Deanna Pallotta grew up making sauce and rolling pasta with her grandparents. Now, she’s transformed those memories into Sognare Italiano, a lively new spot for pasta, wine, cocktails and good times.
Fresh pasta, Italian wine, late-night cocktails and a restaurant of her own – for Sognare Italiano owner Deanna Pallotta, the dream is finally on the table.
That’s exactly what Sognare means: “to dream” in Italian. And after years of imagining what her own restaurant might look and feel like, Deanna has turned that idea into a lively dining destination built around the things she loves most.
There’s something wonderfully full-circle about where that dream has landed, too. Sognare Italiano sits just down the road from the home Deanna’s grandparents bought after migrating to Australia from Italy in the 1950s.
The Stepney property became a generational family home, with every member of Deanna’s family living there at some stage. Today, her brother resides there with his own family.
“It feels incredibly special and almost full circle,” Pallotta says. “To now have my own restaurant so close to that home feels like I am building on what my grandparents began when they first came to Australia, while creating something of my own that can continue our family’s story into the future.”
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Food has always been part of that story.
“Some of my strongest memories are being surrounded by family, with food always at the centre of everything,” Pallotta says. “I remember making sauce and rolling fresh pasta with my grandparents and they’re some of the memories I love most.”
Those childhood rituals now have a new home at Sognare Italiano, where house-made pasta and sauces sit at the centre of a menu spanning antipasti, mains and desserts, with plenty of inspiration drawn from Deanna’s family and Italian culture.
But this isn’t a restaurant designed to feel like a trip back in time. Pallotta wanted somewhere with energy – a place that could work for a romantic dinner, a long lunch with friends, a family celebration or a few drinks that turn into a full night out.
The open kitchen and bar are key to that atmosphere, putting guests close to the action, while a selection of Italian wines and signature cocktails gives them plenty of reason to linger.
“The music and atmosphere are also a huge part of Sognare Italiano,” Pallotta says. “I wanted it to be somewhere you can come for great food and wine but also stay for a cocktail, enjoy the music and have a really good night with the people you’re with.”
The space has been designed to shift with the occasion, with intimate spots for couples, larger tables for groups and families and bar seating for something more casual. Private functions and special events can also be tailored with the team.
“The lighting, music and service all help the restaurant adapt to the occasion,” Pallotta says. “We also work closely with guests hosting private functions and special events so the menu and overall experience feel personal to them.
“We want everyone to feel that their occasion, regardless of what it is for, deeply matters to us.
Ultimately, Pallotta hopes the restaurant becomes somewhere people feel at home – even if they’ve only just walked through the door.
“I hope people leave remembering how good the food was but also how they felt while they were here,” she says. “I want Sognare to feel special, welcoming and somewhere that inspires people to follow their dreams.”
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