We returned to Ormeggio recently to celebrate a special occasion and were impressed by the consistent quality of their dishes compared to our first visit a few years ago. It’s no wonder that it has retained its one hat status according to the Good Food Guide and continues to draw in a crowd which enjoys the unique ambience of fine dining on the waterfront marina at the Spit.
This time we had the 4 course tasting menu ($126 per person) which showcases Ormeggio’s signature dishes throughout the years. We started off with some amuse bouche consisting of Biodynamic Veal Tonnato and Baccala Fritters which were both very flavourful and set the scene for the journey of delicious flavours and textures to follow. The Veal Tonnato was an addictively flavoured morsel featuring cold sliced veal that has been melded with a creamy mayonnaise flavoured with tuna, while the Baccala Fritters were crumbed bites encasing a creamy salted cod filling that is one of our favourite comfort foods of all time.
Biodynamic Veal Tonnato and Baccala Fritters
For our first course, we enjoyed the simple but fresh flavours of the 2014 Ocean Trout Crudo “Alla Catalana” which was made with slivers of ocean trout delicately arranged with an artful overlay of thin cucumber slices and flavoured with tomato and red onion. The result was not only pretty to look at, but absolutely sublime in terms of taste.
2014 Ocean Trout Crudo “Alla Catalana” (tomato, red onion, celery, cucumber)
For round two, we had the 2017 Taglioni pasta which was served with spanner crab, roasted tomato, chives and the surprise ingredient of mixed nuts. While the nuttiness was unexpected, it added an interesting depth of flavour to the dish that worked.
2017 Taglioni, Roasted Tomato, Spanner Crab, Mixed Nuts and Chives
Moving onto mains, the 2012 Charcoal Wagyu was a classic dish executed well, with the buttery medium rare Wagyu beef melting into our mouths with each bite, paired with red onion, potent daikon (radish) and peppery herbs.
2012 Charcoal Wagyu, Red Onion, Daikon, Peppery Herbs
As for dessert, the 2015 Coconut Pannacotta did not disappoint with intriguing flavours and textures at play against the silky pannacotta, with the fruity twangs of pineapple and lemon verbena punching through the creaminess.
2015 Coconut Pannacotta, Pineapple, Lemon Verbena
The petit fours which rounded out our meal were a nice touch, especially the indulgent iced chocolate truffles with raspberry and the fluffy almond tartlet.
Petit Fours
While a visit to Ormeggio is not easy on the wallet, we think that the excellent and consistent quality of the dishes, lovely ambience and views are well worth it for a special occasion. It remains one of our favourite restaurants in Sydney, as unlike some fine dining restaurants which are more experimental, there is no compromise on the flavours which are on offer, delivered here with top notch presentation and execution which make it worthy of its one hat status.
Ormeggio at the Spit
D’Albora Marinas, Spit Road, Mosman NSW 2088
Phone: (02) 9969 4088
