Refettorio OzHarvest Sydney
A unique community space where during the day, people in need are welcome to come in and enjoy a free nourishing lunch prepared by OzHarvest chefs and served by wonderful volunteers. Over 300 customers enjoy this beautiful dining experience each week and they say it's so much more than a meal; it's about conversations, comfort, connections, and community.
Every Wednesday and Thursday evening, we are open for the general public to enjoy a 'Pay It Forward' Dinner, to help give back to the community.
Refettorio OzHarvest Sydney
A unique community space where during the day, people in need are welcome to come in and enjoy a free nourishing lunch prepared by OzHarvest chefs and served by wonderful volunteers. Over 300 customers enjoy this beautiful dining experience each week and they say it's so much more than a meal; it's about conversations, comfort, connections, and community.
Every Wednesday and Thursday evening, we are open for the general public to enjoy a 'Pay It Forward' Dinner, to help give back to the community.
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 OzHarvest brings 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.
Phone: 0493 163 136
Email: [email protected]
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 Wednesday and 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 those who need it most during our weekday service. We rely on the generosity of our supporters to keep our doors open and hope to see you soon!
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.
Now Booking: Exclusive Events
In addition to our regular lunchtime service and Pay It Forward Dinners, Refettorio OzHarvest hosts special events throughout the year!
Thurs 30th & Fri 31st July: ‘Guest Chef at the Ref’ Dinners with Brendan Pang, for Broadsheet DineOut Festival
Vivid Sydney returns to the Ref!
Vivid Sydney returns to the Refettorio kitchen, for ‘Our Shared Future’ – a celebration of rescued ingredients and social change, featuring seven of NSW’s most exciting chefs in one-night-only collaborations.
Guests include Junda Khoo, executive chef and co-founder of Ho Jiak; Jade Gilmore, celebrated pastry chef at Sixpenny; Racha Abou Al-Shamat, owner of catering company and cooking school Racha’s Syrian Kitchen; Khanh Nguyen, executive chef of King Clarence; Remy Davis, head chef at Bessie’s Restaurant and Alma’s Bar; Lauren Elrdridge, head pastry chef at Paisano and Daughters, and Jean-Paul El Tom, co-founder and chef at Baba’s Place and Corner 75.
Private 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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'Friends of the Ref' Newsletter
Sign up to ‘Friends of the Ref’, our quarterly newsletter, to hear about what’s been happening at the Refettorio and exclusive upcoming events.
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 – Pascale Rose and Celine Proudlock – 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
