Refettorio OzHarvest Sydney
A unique community space where those in need are welcome, to come in and enjoy a nourishing meal that enriches body and spirit. 'Refettorio' comes from the Latin reficere, meaning 'to re-make' and 'to restore'.
Book a Pay It Forward Dinner
Refettorio OzHarvest Sydney
A unique community space where those in need are welcome, to come in and enjoy a nourishing meal that enriches body and spirit. 'Refettorio' comes from the Latin reficere, meaning 'to re-make' and 'to restore'.
Book a Pay It Forward Dinner
Who We Are
Refettorio OzHarvest Sydney is an Australian-first, social impact collaboration between OzHarvest and world renowned chef, Massimo Bottura and his charity Food for Soul. As part of a global project, Refettorio’s bring together those in need with a warm, nourishing meal in a unique, community hub setting in Surry Hills.
Based on our zero-waste philosophy, rescued ingredients are transformed by OzHarvest chefs into gourmet vegetarian meals with the menu changing weekly.
Located: 481 Crown Street, Surry Hills, NSW.
Opening Times:
Tuesday – Saturday
Lunch service times: 12.00pm – 2:30pm
Refettorio OzHarvest also hosts regular fundraising dinners, please see here for availability and to make a booking.
Pay It Forward Dinners
Pay It Forward Dinners are held every Thursday, giving guests the opportunity to dine at the Refettorio and learn more about this project. For every dinner booked, we can serve a delicious lunch to at least four people in need during our weekday service. We rely on the generosity of our supporters to keep our doors open and hope to see you soon!
Our Shared Dream - A Vivid Sydney Experience
Join us at Refettorio OzHarvest for a unique dinner series, in collaboration with Vivid Sydney, where every bite feeds a dream of a more sustainable, inclusive and creative future for food and dining in Australia. Each evening of ‘Our Shared Dream’ will see a different leading Australian chef on the pans collaborating with Refettorio OzHarvest. Here, they’ll plate up a unique take on a four-course vegetarian menu, made entirely from rescued produce. By sharing in a meal at Refettorio OzHarvest, you’ll help feed Sydney’s vulnerable communities.
- Friday 23/05 – Neil Perry
- Wednesday 28/05 – Paul Farag
- Thursday 29/05 – Karima Hazim
- Wednesday 04/06 – Matt Moran
- Thursday 05/06 – Jacqui Challinor
- Wednesday 11/06 – Aunty Beryl
- Thursday 12/06 – Gabriel Conti
Our Guests
The Refettorio offers a free lunch made with love to those experiencing food insecurity. Charities can book ahead of time to bring groups and the space is available for people in need to drop-in for a nourishing meal. Regardless of circumstance, all guests are warmly welcomed and served with dignity and respect by a dedicated team of volunteers.
Events
Refettorio OzHarvest Sydney offers intimate events with purpose, allowing everyone to experience this unique space. A range of private event packages are available for breakfast, afternoon and evening events. Our talented chefs design bespoke menus using rescued ingredients that reflect the ethos of the Refettorio, with a focus on seasonal ingredients wherever possible. By hosting a paid private event, Refettorio can continue to nourish and feed those who need it most during our daytime service.
Please get in touch with any questions or enquiries: [email protected]
Donate to the Refettorio
We rely on the generosity of our supporters to keep our doors open. Every dollar helps grow our impact and allows us to serve delicious meals with dignity and respect to those in need.
A Community Hub
Outside of the meal service, the Refettorio functions as a community hub to help foster local connections and inclusion, to grow our impact and support our mission. The Refettorio includes activities to support some of OzHarvest’s education programs including Nourish, NEST and FEAST, and continues to evolve to offer workshops and events that celebrate the local culture, arts and humanities.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Refettorio OzHarvest Sydney is an Australian-first, social impact collaboration between OzHarvest and world renowned Chef Massimo Bottura and his charity, Food for Soul. The Refettorio brings together those in need with a warm, nourishing meal in a unique, community hub setting in Surry Hills. As part of Food for Soul’s global project, it is the 13th Refettorio to open around the world.
Refettorio offers a free meal service Tuesday to Saturday during the daytime. Seating times for lunch are 12.00pm, 12.30pm, 1.00pm, 1.30pm.
Refettorio OzHarvest also hosts regular fundraising dinners, please see here for availability and to make a booking
The purpose of the Refettorio is primarily to serve people experiencing food insecurity. There are opportunities for others to experience the Refettorio through Pay It Forward Dinners and private events. For more information about our dinners, please see here.
A range of private event packages are available for breakfast, afternoon, and evening events. Our talented chefs design a bespoke menu using rescued ingredients that reflects the ethos of the Refettorio, with a focus on seasonal ingredients wherever possible.
Please visit our Events page or email [email protected] to find out more about our event packages.
Nourishing, delicious, vegetarian food! During the weekdays, guests are served a delicious three-course set menu including entree, main and dessert, which changes weekly depending on the rescued ingredients.
The kitchen is be led by the OzHarvest chef team – Jez Wick and Lauren Evers – and from time to time we also invite special guest chefs join us.
At lunchtime, the meals are free and for people in need only. There are opportunities for others to experience the Refettorio through private events and Pay It Forward Dinners. For more information about our Pay It Forward Dinners, please see here.
If you’d like to make a donations to help keep the Refettorio’s doors open you can do so here.
Anyone who is experiencing food insecurity or experiencing social isolation. We work with local charities to introduce the Refettorio to vulnerable members of the community.
For bookings for our daytime free meal service, email [email protected] or text 0493 163 136.
To make a booking for our fundraising Pay It Forward Dinners, please see here and to book a private event please contact [email protected]
No. Regardless of circumstance, guests will be warmly welcomed without judgement and served with dignity and respect.
The Refettorio uses rescued food, but depending what is on the menu, some ingredients will need to be purchased or donated by our generous suppliers.
Yes! We always welcome new volunteers to our family, but you will need to sign up to become a registered OzHarvest volunteer. Please click here for details.
There are many ways you can support the Refettorio, including donating your time as a volunteer, in kind donations for various products and services are always needed and of course, donating money to help with running costs or joining as a project partner.
Donate here
Email [email protected] for partnership information
Ronni Kahn and Massimo Bottura first met back in 2016, described by Ronni as ‘a meeting of two energetic meteors!’ Both social entrepreneurs share a vision to create a better world with no food waste and where no one goes hungry and agreed they should do something together. When they met again a few years later Massimo had just opened the first Refettorio in Italy and Ronni had her own vision of opening a restaurant to feed people in need. Conversations about a Refettorio in Sydney began!
Contact Us
Location: 481 Crown Street, Surry Hills, NSW
Website: www.refettorioozharvestsydney.org
Email: [email protected]
Instagram: @refettorioozharvest
