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If you’ve ever had to wait at the Spit Bridge, watching it rise for boats to glide under, chances are, your gaze has drifted to the water’s edge where Ormeggio at the Spit sits within the d’Albora Marina. Since 2009, Alessandro and Anna Pavoni’s flagship restaurant has been a well-loved Sydney gem; and now, the Pavonis are steering it in a new direction.
Under the direction of well-known chef-owner Alessandro Pavoni, alongside co-owner and executive chef Victor Moya and head chef Federico Caracci, the restaurant’s once seafood-forward menu has now evolved to include meat. And Ormeggio now also offers multiple ways to dine. Alongside the classic degustation, there’s a two-course primo and secondo menu ($98 per person), or a three-course option with dolce ($125 pp).
"Fine dining doesn’t need to feel rigid anymore," says Alessandro Pavoni. "Guests still want beautiful food and great technique, but they also want choice and flexibility. Not every visit calls for a long degustation, so this menu allows people to experience Ormeggio in different ways depending on the occasion."
You could sit on the terrazza and easily feel like you're somewhere along the Italian coast. You could have drinks and snacks there, or enjoy it as a lead-in to your meal. Step inside the light-filled dining room and, beyond the glass facade, Middle Harbour glimmers with gently bobbing boats. The Italian vibes are deepened by the food, as well as thoughtful details: custom tableware, a striking marble cocktail and gelato bar, and a service team that’s efficient yet never overbearing.
With a Calabrese Margarita or a crisp Pinot Grigio in hand, the experience unfolds. Starters feature Oscietra caviar everywhere: topped on the freshly shucked Sydney rock oysters, served with blinis, or as a garnish on the kingfish crudo.
For mains, choose the aged carnaroli risotto alla Milanese with seared Abrolhos Island scallops or the Rockliff spanner crab spaghetti in a seafood ‘cacciucco’ (fish stew) sauce if you’re a seafood lover. There’s also a decadent dry-aged tenderloin alla Rossini with foie gras, polenta brioche and truffle jus.
Have a sweet tooth? Make sure to have the house-made gelato – churned in in-house machines and displayed in gleaming pozzetti. A scoop of Amalfi lemon, bright with candied zest and crunchy with Italian meringue, is the perfect sweet treat to cap off a meal at this waterfront fine diner. La dolce vita!
The Pavonis are also behind other popular Italian restaurants in Sydney: Cibaria Manly, A’Mare, Chiosco, Postino Osteria and Vineria Luisa.
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