Balmain has welcomed a fire-hot Argentinian-inspired grill from the team who brought us Paddington-favourite Tequila Mockingbird and Mexican CBD restaurant Esteban. Sydney-based hospitality group Atticus Hospitality are the ones behind the stylish Casa Esquina.
Casa Esquina has taken over a historic building on the corner of Elliott Street in Balmain, previously home to L'Unico and Efendy. Anchored by two gorgeous 80-year-old camphor laurel trees, the site has transformed into a white-washed and sun-drenched Argentine dream. Inside, the space is fitted out with natural stone, concrete and warm timbers with earthy colours – rust, sand and pebbles – set to evoke the Andes in Patagonia and the Aussie outback. And if you’re looking for a place to host your next soirée, Casa Esquina has a wine cellar which doubles as a private dining room.
Esquina’s head chef Will Quartel and Atticus Hospitality director Michael Fegent spent weeks travelling throughout Argentina in 2023 – as well as stints cooking over fire in the Aussie dessert – to ensure the offering at Casa Esquina is as authentic as possible. Come Tuesday and Wednesday lunchtimes only, the leafy courtyard will pump out Argentine-style street food, and on Sundays the custom-made parrilla grill will flame-cook suckling pig and lamb.
Other highlights on the menu include charred and flavoursome premium cuts of steak, including a whopping 1kg 60-day dry-aged Rangers Valley rib eye; four types of empanadas (think chicken and chorizo, roasted butternut squash and raclette, amongst others); stuffed Argentinian-style pizza called fugazzeta; Wagyu beef tongue pastrami with spigarello (a type of green vege) with capers and sauce tonatto; and sweet bread and prawn paella with Wagyu-fat chilli crunch. And while meat will be a focal point, your vege mates will be happy with black garlic pasta with stracciatella and pecorino; and smoked eggplant tempura with avocado and mustard greens.
Drinks wise, sommelier Sophie Gitterle has curated a wine list starring South American drops, as well as vino from Spain and Australia. Cocktails include Fernet Royale – a riff on Argentina’s popular drink, Fernet-Branca and Coke, as well as La Spritz Esquina, a fresh and fun Spritz made with Aperol, Limoncello, prosecco, frozen orange and orange bitters.
Fegent says: “Balmain is especially close to my heart – I’m a Balmain local, and my son goes to school here. I remember the old days when the area was pumping and I want to contribute to bringing that back - now is the time with Casa Esquina.”
