Cafe Sopra Walsh Bay

PROFILED BY DE GROOTS MEDIA
Stacked fruit and veg to one side, lively restaurant on the other, and imported European floor staff throughout: it’s the recipe for dining success that Fratelli Fresh conjured up in Sydney’s Waterloo, then Potts Point, and now, Walsh Bay. Those bound for the nearby Sydney Dance Company and Sydney Theatre will rejoice over this mod-Italian eatery in an area that lacks a good choice of pre-show dinner options.

Wooden racks of fresh ingredients occupy the right hand side of the space alongside refrigerated cured meats, deli items and all manner of cheeses, while a giant blackboard heralds the menu on the central rear wall. Produce this stylish doesn’t come cheap - you can grab a smallish pack of multicoloured heirloom tomatoes for a cool $10.50 – but this upmarket grocer sure knows how to showcase its goods to their full potential. Head chef Andy Bunn’s menus, which are more or less the same across the three dining rooms, are renowned for their celebration of seasonal ingredients.

This springtime visit offers hunks of smoked duck tossed with shredded witlof, fresh green figs and crispy pancetta strips, and a rich lamb ragu, heavily fragrant with rosemary, mixed through thimble-sized rigatoni. At just $3.50 per glass, you can’t go past the house white and red wines by the glass, which are surprisingly pleasant given the thrifty price tag. A hefty scoop of tiramisu tastes just like Nonna would make it, its sponge saturated with liqueur and espresso and the layered cream thick with whipped mascarpone.

Easy-on-the-eyes ‘personale’ survey the floor with an authentically European, casual finesse; the final ingredient in this must-do, all-Italian dining experience.

Alecia Wood