I stepped off the pavement and into Bar Allora and, just like that, Sydney’s CBD dissolved. In its place: the soft hum of an Italian aperitivo hour, somewhere between Milan and Rome, where time stretches and conversation lingers. Tucked into the city’s chaos, the new venue feels like a transportive pause – all warmth, nostalgia and considered restraint – the kind of place that invites you to stay for one drink and inevitably orders you another.
It was here that I was introduced to the Ragno, Bar Allora’s signature cocktail and a playful nod to the childhood spider drink many of us grew up with. Equal parts memory and mischief, the Ragno reimagines that familiar fizzy sweetness through an adult lens – layered, spirited and unmistakably Italian in attitude. It’s a cocktail that doesn’t take itself too seriously, yet feels entirely intentional.
Below, Bar Allora shares the recipe, so you can bring a little Italian escapism – and a touch of childhood joy – into your own kitchen.
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Ragno cocktail recipe
Ingredients:
40ml cherry Ratafia
30ml sugar syrup
60ml lemonade
Lemon cream, to finish
Glacé cherry garnish
Lemon Cream
Thickened cream
Lemon syrup
Lemon Syrup
Water
Sugar
Lemon peel
Method:
Italian Ratafia is a sweet aromatic liqueur traditionally made by infusing fruit herbs or nuts into alcohol like brandy or neutral spirit and then sweetening it. Bar Allora's Ratafia is made with cherries.
Lemon Cream
Combine thickened cream with the lemon syrup and stir until the mixture is completely smooth, then refrigerate.
Lemon Syrup
Blend the water, sugar, and lemon peel until the sugar dissolves fully, strain and refrigerate.
Combine Ratafia, sugar syrup, lemonade and pour over ice and then mix well together. Slowly pour the lemon cream against the inside of the glass over the back of a small spoon, so it creates a layer of cream on top. Garnish with a glacé cherry.
Looking for more recipes to make this summer? Here's a look at all the recipes the RUSSH team will be making over the break.
