Kings Cross’s oldest bar snapped up by 28-year-old

One of Sydney’s oldest bars, frequented by celebrities from here and overseas has changed hands in a hush-hush deal.

Kings Cross’s oldest bar has been snapped up by a 28-year-old lawyer and entrepreneur.

Local sources reveal that the 25 sqm space leased to The Piccolo Bar, which has operated at the foot of the Art Deco Manhattan building at 6 Roslyn St, Potts Point for 73 years, is now owned by Ari James, founder of the property portal Million Dollar Listing Sydney.

Word on the street is that Ari picked up the popular bar, in the past frequented by the likes of Red Hot Chili Peppers, Peter Allen, Gough Whitlam and today’s socialites and celebrities, in an off-market deal for circa $740,000.

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Entrepreneur and lawyer Ari James.

Piccolo Bar is at the foot of the Art Deco Manhattan building, on the corner of Ward Ave and Roslyn St.

Since the property is yet to settle, Ari was reluctant to discuss the purchase. But when pushed, he said simply: “I love Potts Point and its little iconic properties … and this is quite a well known place, people in the Cross love it and it was founded in 1952.”

He has no intention of changing things too much, with David Spanton’s transformation of the iconic space into an aperitivo bar and diner four years ago a roaring success.

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Red Hot Chili Peppers have hung out at the bar.

Spanton will continue to lease the space.

He’d brought in designer Michael Delany, of Honkytonks and The Oxford Taven fame, to reimagine the space, while retaining its charm.

Ari has purchased the freehold from Tina Newton-Carra, niece of the Piccolo Bar’s late owner, Vittorio Bianchi, who died at the age of 91 in March.

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The bar first opened in 1952.

The late owner of the Piccolo Bar was the late Vittorio Bianchi, who died in March. Picture: Kate Bastians

It was the bar’s proximity to the Sebel Townhouse, where many celebrities used to stay, that made the bar a magnet for famous people. along with its good coffee.

Vittorio was born in a village outside Naples in 1934 but arrived in Sydney by ship when he was just 14.

He worked at the Piccolo Bar in the 1960s and eventually bought it in 1994.

Its new owner, Ari James, also owns two corner properties in the building, occupied by Fratelli Paradiso.

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