The restaurant war between Sydney hospitality heavyweights Neil Perry and Eddie Levy has taken a twist worthy of any reality cooking show.
Drama sizzled last week when Eddie Levy, owner of long-running Italian restaurant Matteo, took a public swipe at celebrity restaurateur Neil Perry after he opened up his own Italian joint across the road.
Perry had barely scraped the last dim sum off the floor of his failed Chinese eatery Song Bird before unveiling Gran Torino – a two-level Italian restaurant in the same location.
Levy made his thoughts about the venture abundantly clear in a now-deleted but widely circulated comment on Gran Torino’s Instagram, taking pot shots at Perry’s habit of shuttering venues, then reopening new ones in the same spot.
Now, a curious interaction on Instagram suggests popular food connoisseur magazine Time Out Sydney appears to have sided with Team Matteo.
On Thursday, the publication uploaded an extract from its story about the opening of Gran Torino – which was named after the Clint Eastwood movie by the same name.
The restaurant war between Sydney hospitality heavyweights Neil Perry and Eddie Levy has taken a twist worthy of any reality cooking show. (Pictured: Neil Perry, left, and Eddie Levy, right)
On Thursday, Time Out Sydney shared an extract from its story about the opening of Gran Torino. Levy commented on the post with a GIF of Clint Eastwood looking enraged, with Time Out Sydney replying: ‘Lol’
Levy commented on the post with a GIF of Eastwood looking enraged, garnering a surprising response from Time Out Sydney, who replied directly to the comment with: ‘Lol’.
It comes after Levy took his initial swipe at Perry in a brutal Instagram post on the Gran Torino Instagram page, days before the venue opened its doors last weekend.
‘Hopefully [Gran Torino] goes better than Rosetta, Jade Temple, Song Bird etc etc. Otherwise you guys can always try Mexican next – heard that could work… let us know if we can assist you any further.’
Perry’s beloved Italian restaurant Rosetta closed in May 2024 after 12 years in business amid large-scale redevelopments at Crown Melbourne, where it was once located.
Jade Temple, Perry’s Cantonese (later pan-Asian) fine-dining restaurant, shuttered in 2018, exactly a year on from its grand opening, after a menu overhaul was unable to save it.
Similarly, Song Bird, once an ambitious three-level Chinese mega-restaurant, served its final wonton on August 3, almost a year after it opened.
The restaurant’s downfall was attributed to struggles with being overscaled – Perry admitted he ‘missed the mark’ with the three-level layout – as well as a rushed opening, staffing issues and equipment failures.
Despite these setbacks, Perry remains one of Australia’s most celebrated and successful restaurateurs, with an empire that has included Rockpool, Spice Temple and, of course, Australia’s top steak restaurant, Margaret.
Perry’s new venture, Gran Torino, was met with hostility from Matteo’s owner, Eddie Levy
Perry (pictured with wife Samantha) is no stranger to Double Bay – he also owns Margaret and the wine bar Next Door
Levy (pictured with girlfriend Kimmy Smalls) has further expanded his presence in Double Bay as the co-owner of Japanese restaurant Tanuki
The competition between Matteo and Gran Torino won’t be simmering down anytime soon. Both venues offer similar menus comprising antipasti, handmade pasta, meat and seafood
‘Bravo!! Good luck,’ Levy concluded his snarky comment, which has since been removed – either by Levy himself or the Gran Torino account admin.
Levy also responded to another post about Gran Torino by sharing a GIF of Clint Eastwood looking unimpressed.
Matteo is regarded as one of Double Bay’s trendiest trattorias thanks to its relaxed atmosphere and authentic Italian menu.
The rivalry isn’t likely to simmer down soon, especially as both venues serve similar menus – think antipasti, handmade pasta, hearty mains and decadent desserts.
Perry – a guest judge on MasterChef – is no stranger to Double Bay, of course.
He also owns the suburb’s trendy Margaret restaurant and wine bar Next Door – two venues he’s managed to keep running despite other ambitious projects folding.
Levy has also established himself in Double Bay as co-owner of the Japanese favourite Tanuki.
Tanuki made headlines earlier this year when an influencer customer hurled a table lamp at her ex-boyfriend’s head after seeing him dining out with his new partner.
