We had a lovely lunch recently at this newly opened caffè in Surry Hills. The Beloved wanted to go, as it’s by the same people who run Kittyhawk in the city (where he’s partial to their Rum and Rye Old Fashioneds).
A long-running competition between The Beloved and I is to see who can get the prettiest cocktail. This time I was victorious, having chosen the Honeybee cocktail while he stepped out of the race and went with a nice glass of rossato.
We ordered the deliciously gooey crochetta di patate to start, although it actually arrived after our mains.
For those mains, I snaffled gli gnocchi with wonderfully cooked prawn pieces, zucchini flower and pillowy gnocchi. The wakame powder gave the dish an extra salty, seaweed-y hit. The Beloved had the octopus aka il polpo. We weren’t sure what to expect with the dish, for example if it came with pasta or needed a side. It turned out to be one slightly spicy, marinated rich tentacle with a sauce (salsa all’arrabiata, ‘nduja, bronze fennel) that popped from the sweet currants. It didn’t need a side (more room for dessert!) The Beloved mopped up the leftover sauce with his crochetta.
Come dessert time, he opted for the coconut tiramisu with an il amaro spritz. I had a bitter chocolate and hazelnut semifreddo and was very pleased with the glass of passito recommended by our friendly and knowledgeable waiter.
I enjoyed the decor although anyone with a fear of Italian greyhounds should consider themselves warned – they’re a recurring motif from the tiling in the entranceway, to decorating the walls of the dining room, and there’s even photographs of them in the bathrooms!
Overall, we very much enjoyed our meals and I think this is a great addition to the Kittyhawk / Lobo Plantation / Big Poppa’s stable.
Kiki and The Beloved Eat Out 