ormeggio at the spit

ormeggios at the spit breathes new life into traditional italiandishesthat your nonna used to make. sensational presentation and breathtaking marina views, ormeggios did not disappoint in any way. the wait staff were highly trained and attentive, and took us through our 'trip through italy' with finesse. highly recommend the degustation 'trip through italy'. immaculate presentation of each meal and interesting takes on different meals including 'tomato and basil'. the 'apple strudel' was my favorite; a light, yet sweet arrangement playing on the ever popular apple strudel. a big mention to the oysters with lime granita- hands down best oysters i've had. fine food and great wine matchings ensured a great night, and a definite return is on the cards.

we tried the stressless sunday 5 course meal which was good but not overly exceptional. for $70 per person, i expected more pazazz.

the portions were quite small, and somedishesas previously mentioned lacked the wow factor which was expected. thedisheswere still however, quite tasty.

in addition to this, the service was absolutely wonderful, views were beautiful and the atmosphere was great. we came here for a family member's birthday celebration, and the waiters did a lovely job bringing out the dessert whilst joyfully singing happy birthday.

i may possibly come back here for a casual lunch during the day to bask in the beautiful ambiance and views.

our experience at ormeggio for their stressless sunday dinner was great. it was fun not knowing ahead of time what the menu was and we were impressed with mostdishes(my photos really don't do them justice). the cod baccala was my personal favourite, i could've eaten two bowls of that. the rich, strong flavors were complemented by the jumble of textures from the creamy baccala to the crunchy croutons. dessert was the other highlight. the yuzu sorbet provided a refreshing contrast to the chocolate crumbs and it was a perfect ending to a delicious meal. we also had a delicate pork terrine, a pressed brick of soft pulled lamb (a tad overseasoned for me) and a risotto which was the weakest of the series (it wasn't bad, just not memorable). ormeggio clearly has a good handle on the food front but it was the service that elevated the experience. our waiters were consummate professionals, blending the right amount of humour and conversation without being stuffy. with staff like them, it's easy see why ormeggio draws the crowds.

we tried the little trip to italy tasting menu. high light of the night was the cod, i really liked that one, different layers of flavors. my husband liked the beef tartare, kingfish taco very much. only thing i think that can be improved was that some of thedisheswere a little bit too salty, eg. cappuccino soup and one stuffed pasta dish. service was good too. great fine dining experience.

came here for lunch and we were seated by the water. the view is amazing especially during summer however it was abit difficult finding parking since it was located on such a busy road.

we had the signature dishes, they chose their most populardishesover the years and i can certainly see why. i enjoyed the veal tartare and lamb dish the most! the pasta was a really strong burst of flavour if you really enjoy parmesan!!

we booked on a wednesday night via a monthly dimmi 50% special. arrived at the venue at 730. was promptly shown our table by the waterside with a glimmering view of the spit bridge.

after we were seated, we were shown the drinks menu. the wait staff was very patient as we went over their listing but decided to stay with water in the end.

the maître d' then came over to present to us the menu for the night explaining to us all the various courses and specials that they had. he then presented us with a wooden box, within it was an enormous black truffle resting on a cream coloured cloth. it was the first time i had been this up close and personal with a truffle of this size. the aroma was captivating. he detailed thedishesin the truffle special (it is truffle season, after all). while we were extremely tempted by the truffles course we felt it would be too much truffle for us so we opted to add the handmade tagliolini with australian black truffle to our six course dinner.

the highlightdishesof the night was most definitely the handmade tagliolini with truffle and pecorino sauce. the combination was amazing! the taste and smell of the truffle stayed with me throughout the night. the pecorino truffle sauce clung onto the tagliolini and every bite was so delicious. it was worth coming just for the dish alone. the charcoal wagyu was a very nice and tender cut of beef cooked perfectly and the bottoni filled with parmigiano reggiano was a delightful surprise.

i enjoyed the two dessertdishesokay, the almond sorbet with date could have been a little sweeter and the pear sorbet with dark chocolate and crushed hazelnut could have been a little less bitter but it's more a matter of personal taste.

all in all, the service and food was excellent. the restaurant is had a warm, lovely and quiet atmosphere, decorated in a minimalist feel so there's nothing to distract you from the view, the food and the person next to you. they even gave us complimentary bites towards the end as we were about to leave. was totally unexpected but was a very nice touch indeed.

ormeggio at the spit is a two hatted restaurant located at the spit in mosman and serves up high quality italian food with modern twists. they are most famous for their ‘trip through italy’ degustation which takes diners on a flavour journey across italy, samplingdishesinfluenced by different regions in italy, and it was this degustation menu that we enjoyed one lunchtime to celebrate our anniversary.

sydney is blessed with many preeminent food institutions and ormeggio is certainly one of them. among all the glitzy fine dining restaurants, i could not praise ormeggio enough for some its out-of-the-world ingenuity.

twodisheswhich make me remember ormeggio for life - charcoal wagyu beef cheek, ocean trout roe/tuna crudo. the ocean trout roe is a perfect starter for the savoury courses with its blistering poppers and bronte pistachio. the red wine beef cheek melts instantaneously and overcomes the "beef fat" problem which spoils my dining experience at other restaurants including sepia, est and lumi.

the otherdishesare decent but not impressionable. hopefully, i can try more memorable and palatabledishesin my next visit there. orm is definitely one of the most underrated restaurants in sydney and it's worth a visit.

we had the 7 course with wine matching and had a great night. nicely plated dishes, great service, 5 out of 7disheswere fantastic, 2 (suckling pig and the cold spaghetti) i could've passed on with the pork being slightly over cooked and extremely i mean extremely salty and the cold spaghetti was taken out a tad too early and wasn't quite al dente and was slightly undercooked however, the buitoni was cooked al dente and was amazing. both desserts were really nice and again the service was great. the view and location was also a plus :)

chef allesandro pavoni has consistently offered modern italian culinarydisheswhich 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

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.
alldisheswere 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!

amazing, must try. degustation is always the highest standard and delights every-time. freshest ingredients transformed into enchantingdisheswhile you gaze out over the water. great spot with excellent food, what more could you want!

ormeggio is a 2 hat restaurant located just before the spit bridge in mosman. it's been around for a while and the head chef alessandro pavoni is pretty well known, having appeared on masterchef and other cooking shows. the great thing about ormeggio is that it's pretty good value for money given its 2 hat status. on sunday's they do an awesome 5 course set menu called the 'stressless sunday dinner' which has 5 courses pre-selected by the chefs and costs $69 per person (or $129 for matching wines). whipped ricotta with homemade sourdough -  rustic sourdough, crunchy crust on the outside but soft and warm on the inside, this went so well with the ricotta that we actually ordered another plate of this bread. ocean trout - having not eaten at a fine dining establishment in quite some time, i'd forgotten how different the presentation and taste of thedishescan be. this trout dish brought it all back to me. such attention to detail in the plating with such delicate flavours. the balance between the fresh trout and the crunch of the tostada shards cut by the punch of the horseradish dollops. doesn't look like much to the naked eye, but it was a mouthwatering experience for the tastebuds. spaghetti carbonara - a modern twist on the classic carbonara. a twirl of spaghetti cooked al dente, with a rich cheesey sauce topped with a handful of fried lardons. mmmmmm, so simple but soooo good. beef cheeks - these braised beef cheeks in red wine jus was literally melt in the mouth goodness. with additional texture from the kale, baby corn and broccolini, this was a tasty main course. coconut crumb, gelato jelly - i'm not a big fan of desserts, but this was was super refreshing for a hot summer's night. carrot cake - ormeggi

special meal in a lovely location. we had a wonderful night at ormeggio on the spit last night. the small restaurant with intimate tables is lovely and overlooking the marina by sunset was nice, especially when the opened up the blinds and windows. the food was outstanding - we opted for the 8 course degustation with matching wines which was excellent. each dish was delicious with very interesting flavours and incredible display of technique. we were quite full by the end of the meal and had had just the right amount of wine, which was matched beautifully to thedishesthroughout. our favouritedisheswere the eggplant tortelli, the suckling pig and the veal tonnato - all were flawless. i could have done with the double desserts (one as a palate cleanser - a cheese dish would have been preferred) and the asparagus which was a little limp, but did taste delicious. our only criticism was that the matching wine was often poured too far in advance of the dish, so that by the time that matching food came out we had nearly finished off the medium sized matching wine. all in all, our night was 8.5/10 - we were thrilled. the waitstaff were all excellent and they made us feel welcome and made a nice fuss of my partner for his birthday.

all in all, ormeggio at the spit ticks all the boxes for a memorable special occasion dinner (though the experience is somewhat weather dependent), where you can savour the perfectly executeddishesin picturesque waterfront surroundings.