ormeggio at the spit

chef allesandro pavoni has consistently offered modern italian culinary dishes which still echo the best of the northern regions of italy.  his base of creativity and culinary delight is also iconic, near the spit bridge, in one of lower north shore sydney's most coveted spots, blessed by panoramic scenery, easy access from the city centre and yet offering diners a wonderful refuge from city life.i could see the vehicular traffic across the spit bridge from our table.    my group of three  was pretty looking forward to an evening of a surprise menu offering, willingly open to what the chef had in mind, whim and seasonal produce  - instead of being subject to a regularly repeated menu.   it was a five course affair, a starter, two mains and closed by two dessert items - the stressless sunday dinner!the greet staff set the engaging tone, and before very course dish, we were explained to in gusto and detail as to what we were about to discover, saviour and experience.   i must say it was not a degustation, with more than ample servings of each offering.  i absolutely loved the prawn tartare, garnished by parsley oil, presented in a white plate which displayed an exquisite placing of ingredients.  at the other end of the spectrum for us that evening was the risotto flavoured with pumpkin, highlighted by parmesan and graced with balsamic vinegar  - in this instance the risotto itself had a harder texture than i appreciated.   apart from that, we also had king george whiting, granita with lemoncelli and a sweet dessert utilising ricotta.    the organic sourdough was terrific as an opener - the bagna cauda - accompanied by an anchovy based dip.lighting in the restaurant was heavily subdued which can contribute to the ambiance  - here we were, huddled around our sole table lamp, and the scene is repeated across the sizeable dining area.    i did not feel as if i am placed on planks above water (ormeggio refers to moorings in italiano ) - and the washrooms are a delight, with careful and thoughtful touches of luxury and accessory.  i must say it was not easy for first timers to find the way to the restaurant entrance, as currently there is much renovation work surrounding the ormeggio,   once inside, we are embraced by vistas of the marinas, sydney middle harbour and pearl bay.    tables are tastefully separated by a good measure of personal space and this is appreciated.   as the evening wore on to close the weekend, more and more diners turned up as we commenced our visit early on a winter's evening when sunset was just after 5pm,  but it had indeed been a relatively welcoming warm night.sommelier jeremy croft directs the wine list at the ormeggio, with choices that take a diner through the various wine growing regions of italy, a rather unique experience.the ormeggio visited is located at the d'albora marinas, the spit, mosman nsw, with paid parking available on the same side of the marinas.   opening hours are from 6pm to 10pm on wednesdays; from 12 noon to 3pm and from 6pm to 10pm on thursdays and fridays; from 12 noon to 3pm and from 530pm to 10pm on saturdays; and from 12 noon to 3pm and from 6pm to 10pm on sundays.closed on mondays and tuesdays.contact +61 2 9969 4088my impressions of the ormeggio at the spit bridge, mosman nsw:ambiance:  4 out of 5

l to r: vitello tonnato, eggplant parmigiana, truffle pecorino and half a dozen of their oysters. ormeggio bakery organic sourdough – homemade ricotta (no doubt the best bread and ricotta spread ever!!!. porcini – piedmont hazelnuts – chestnuts (hands down my favourite dish of the night)

i picked the set menu for lunch and my experience was absolutely wonderful. the place looked very simple but warm and casual. it made me feel very relaxed and right at home. not too fancy and too uptight. the ambience is very relaxing.

the food is very italian, in a good way that is. one of my favorite is their squid ink pasta and the beef tartare. the beef tartare is placed on a sea shell like plate and the cutting is diced perfectly. the squid ink is one of the best squid ink i've ever had in sydney. that one is a pasta to remember indeed. the service was lovely and i got an e-mail to become a vip birthday member. i am very satisfied with everything ormeggio has to offer.

we came here a week after mother's day on saturday for a large family lunch and enjoyed the 8 course "trip through italy" degustation with matching wines ($195 per person). while this wasn't the best fine dining restaurant i've been to, and while the view wasn't spectacular and of the harbour bridge or the opera house, it was quite good. i'd recommend coming here if you're looking for a fancy but relaxed atmosphere, with not too much noise and good, different tasting and interesting looking food. be warned though, you always have to book probably at least 2 weeks in advance if you want to come here on a sunday because it is always, always booked out.

the food is good, albeit not amazing. however, the effort and thought put into crafting these recipes makes them both unique and very, very beautiful. the courses were all light but by the end of it i was satisfied, not stuffed. my favourite part of the meal was this interesting looking green soup that i thought i'd hate, but was actually delicious - it's a shame there wasn't more of it haha.

the staff are also wonderful - they explain every course, what's in it, the story behind it and the town in italy the inspiration originated from.

while i probably wouldn't come here again (i don't think that entire meal was worth the price), this was a good experience and i'll put it under the heading of: nice fine dining restaurants you might want to experience once.

beautiful decor and fantastic food. it sure is a hidden gem.
i've been to ormeggio on a number of occasions and it rarely disappoints.
the restaurant is beautiful, the view and the boats have a calming affect as though you have all the time in the world to take in and submerse yourself in the experience.
i would recommend the 3+ courses so that you can try a selection from their gourmet menu.
we had the tuna & cheese and tuna tartare as the appetizer (apologies if i've done no justice for the names of the dishes), trout and lamb ravioli for our entree, slow cooked steak, sweet prawn & pea risotto for our mains and the raspberry sorbet and chocolate cake for dessert.
all dishes were quite spectacular, though i wasn't a huge fan of the pea risotto - might be due to the fact that i don't like peas but am in search for the perfect risotto.
both desserts were delicious, the chocolate cake was pleasant and not overly sweet but i would have to say the tangy raspberry sorbet was my favourite.
i do wonder why ormeggio is not mentioned more on review sites as it has a lot going for it, it is one hidden gem.
would i go back? yes most definitely!

great dining experience for me and my friends.

i've now been here twice.

food was great on both occasions. we enjoyed every dish we had on the tasting menu.

beautiful restaurant overlooking the waters. best to come on a nice sunny day.

best to avoid sunday lunch menu as its more expensive than any other day. tasting menu increase by almost $30pp. i learnt it the hard way.

otherwise, definitely a restaurant worth trying.

sprinkle your afternoon with a delightful fine dining experience with water views. accent your taste buds with delicately crafted “emozioni” to start; 3 bit-sized pieces bursting with flavour. continue to sear into the biodynamic veal tonnato which was extremely refreshing yet creamy.

sunday dinner for $70 isn't bad. i just found the food to be ok. supposedly they use sunday to test out new dishes. nothing to write home about. house made bread and ricotta were good.

came here for valentines day dinner and it was a wonderful experience. the food was absolutely delicious and of very high standard and looked beautiful. the setting and atmosphere was very peaceful and romantic, having dinner while the sun set. the service was warm and attentive. would definately recommend.

i recently visited this delightful waterfront restaurant for my sibling's birthday. the relaxed ambience was perfect and we were blessed with sunshine too. food was so impeccably prepared and presented but the portion sizes are quite small (it's fine dining after all).

went sunday night for the 5 course menu. loved every dish except for one which was fish. all others were amazing, creative and delicious. lots of wine and cocktail options.

one awesome restaurant by alessandro pavoni in a beautiful sydney location

great service and over all customer experience... continuing to grow and get better

gorgeous looking restaurant. a hub for business attire and drinking.
we were a table of 5. we have looked forward to this experience for awhile.
we decided on the degustation menu and received a medium red. not what my husband had asked the sommelier for.
i left at least half of my courses on the plate as everything was so salty!
the lovely hostess ask if everything was ok, we all commented on the over seasoning.
the last dessert was pleasant enough, but i'll not venture over the bridge again to ruin my taste buds.

ordered 5 courses set menu and a bottle of rosé. k. we are set for the night

o r m e g g i o this beautiful establishment deserves more press! it doesn't look the best from the outside but once you wonder through the boat shop and onto the wharf/restaurant, you feel like you have entered tranquility. we had the set menu. every dish was great but the most outstanding one had to be the summer dessert. you can tell a lot of thought and passion goes into their food. ✌ @foodiesguidetosydney