LOCATIONLocated in Sydney CBD
PROFILED BY DE GROOTS MEDIAThere are beautiful stories behind some restaurant names and through ‘Acqua Pazza’, Mario Percuoco pays homage to a Venetian restaurant he holds as dearly as his own. Rekindling Sydney’s romance with traditional Italian cuisine, Percuoco has introduced his sleek style to Bent Street where the grandeur of Italian dining is served to his own following. With heritage resting Naples and five generations of family in the industry, Acqua Pazza has blossomed alongside Percuoco’s traditional recipes hailing from small Italian villages. These treasured methods are served in a modern setting inspired by Italy’s contemporary fashion. Diners walk up white, mosaic-tiled stairs into the light-filled space, and over plush European black carpet designed especially for the restaurant. Chandeliers in a cluster of long glass raindrops scatter the soft sunlight throughout the room that spills in through tall arched windows.
The entrance of the bar, framed in a wall of bottles, whets the palate for wine, canapés and Prosecco. A magnificent Calcutta marble counter faces walls lined with panels of woven gold in the luxurious and intimate pocket of the restaurant. The first dedicated antipasto bar in Sydney, the marble table skirts a grand mirrored column where the colourful appetisers are displayed. Plates come bestowing grilled capsicum with black olives, rippled slices of zucchini, peas flecked with pancetta, cannellini beans with fennel seeds, soft, sautéed eggplant and plump, marinated mushrooms. Neapolitan octopus salad beholds silky pink slices of flesh with subtle house-made chilli oil, while a light, crisp batter encases slices of soft calamari. The signature dish is a Tuscan peasant’s recipe that, whilst simple, is not easily executed. Linguine instilled with the sweet aroma of tomato-stained olive oil is tangled with coarsely chopped fresh mint and parsley, and adorned with morsels of delicate Moreton Bay bug and New Zealand scampi. These varied elements harmonise alongside the meticulously prepared strands of pasta, sending a satisfied hush over the table. Dessert presents orange and almond meal tart that whispers citrus zing, while baked ricotta cheesecake bears a sweet elderflower fragrance that complements ice cream freckled with ground vanilla bean.
Edwina Storie