I’m at Mosman’s two-hatted Italian seafood restaurant Ormeggio at The Spit to try the winter set menu, titled ‘A tribute to Australian produce’, which celebrates both Australia and Italy.
It’s toasty warm inside, away from the winter chill, and from our table we can see the lights bounce off the water.
There are nine dishes on the winter menu, with oysters and octopus an optional extra. Ormeggio offers wine pairings, although we choose a pinot grigio from the extensive wine list. There are plenty of cocktails available too.
Ormeggio’s dirty porcini mushroom consommé with Japanese pumpkin foam is served first, looking like an espresso martini. The consommé is warming and flavoursome, the pumpkin foam floating above it light and airy.
The polenta tartlet, with charcoal corn puree, walnut hollandaise and Tasmanian Brussels sprouts is nutty, earthy and a novel way to enjoy sprouts. Confit South Australian calamari with lemon myrtle and chilli mayonnaise and finger lime is fresh, zesty with a perfect hint of chilli.
Opened by Alessandro Pavoni in 2009, Ormeggio moved to just serving seafood in 2020. Chef de partie Federico Caracci says new dishes are trialled extensively.
“When I have an idea for a dish, I develop and refine it before presenting two or three variations to Alessandro and Victor Moya (head chef),” he says. “Together, we pick the best elements from each and combine them into a final concept,” explains Federico.
The carnaroli risotto is a good example. “It’s a classic Italian dish, but we prepare it with cuttlefish stock, Alboros Island (WA) scallop tartare, desert lime gel, wattle seed powder, bush tomato powder, and samphire,” explains Federico. The risotto is creamy with the bush tomato and dessert lime flavours occasionally bursting through.
Federico’s favourite is the Aquna Murray cod, from Griffith, NSW. “We sear it in butter and serve it with parsnip cream, pickled mustard, and a kohlrabi sauce that brings contrast and brightness. It’s delicious,” he says. It is.
The Western Australian octopus is meaty, served on piadina flat bread, with vanella stracciatella, cime di rapa, garlic and chilli – think delicious up- market fish taco.
Our dessert, Amalfi lemon gelato, is bright and zesty with candied lemon and cloudlike Italian meringue.
Each plate is like a work of art and the different textures give diners a multi- sensory experience with each mouthful.
Ormeggio’s ‘A tribute to Australian produce’ set menu is $229 per person, full price. There is 50% off until 13 July (Wednesday to Sunday, lunch or dinner); and 50% off 14 July to 31 August (Saturday dinner, Sunday lunch and dinner).
Ormeggio at The Spit D’Albora Marina The Spit, Spit Road, Mosman 9969 4088 Ormeggio.com.au