A taste of the southern Italian coast in suburban Mount Lawley.
Brimming with bonomia, this old corner deli has morphed into a café-cum-bar-cum-ristorante while throwing clichés out the window. Coffee was the initial thing here, which is still evident as the venue segues from early morning café into moody late-night dining. Unashamed fans of everything Italian, the owners have enlisted staff who charm the socks off customers while sharing their knowledge of the wines lining the walls and dishes referencing seasonal flavours. The confident menu delights on all fronts – from a light, pink and perfectly seasoned chicken pâté to crisp twice-cooked Tuscan-style potatoes with basil and garlic, sprinkled with herb salt. There’s Napoli-style theatre when pesce al cartoccio is prised open to release a cloud of steam from a dewy, Rankin cod redolent with lemon, garlic and herbs. Chef Henry Huang’s deftness at the pans shines through in dishes like fluffy ricotta gnocchi doused in rich sugo with a pop of fresh basil. Go for broke with the 180-strong wine list which champions Sangiovese, the native red grape of Tuscany.
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