Profiled by de Groots MediaThey call it the poor man’s Otto, which is pretty funny but makes a point. There aren’t many places in Woolloomooloo where you can lunch for under $20 with your own bottle of wine. This is not to say that it’s a tightwad’s paradise – a main course at Sienna can cost you around $35, more if you’re after a rib eye or Wagyu steak. But you also have the choice of affordable pastas and pizzas that will keep the price down and your tummy full. Sienna Marina (named for its waterside location and a town in Italy) has been operating for nine years and is hugely popular. Perhaps it’s all the high class suitage across the road, but whatever the reason, people just love coming to the relaxed, unremarkable-looking bistro and they descend on it in droves. Lunchtimes see it packed with local office workers after the $13 lunch special (pizza, pasta or salad) or a traditional bistro favourite such as schnitzel, parmigiana, burger, fish and chips or steak.
If you want to get fancy you can enjoy three courses with European accents. Start with prosciutto-wrapped asparagus in Gorgonzola or jumbo garlic prawns with wood fired bread. A good range of steaks and fish (try the whole baked wild barra) comprise the mains, or choose something from the large list of pizzas and pastas. For something different, order the dessert pizza with warm, slightly molten Nutella and fresh strawberries. The chocolate nemesis torte is another formidable opponent, but don’t be afraid to show that tart who’s boss. The wine list is local, crowd-pleasing and everything is available by the glass. Still, feel free to BYO or kick back with a $13 cocktail.
Sarah Theeboom, January 2008