Putting your stylish best on for the pub might seem a bit extravagant but you can never be too careful these days. Swap your thongs and sunnies for Missoni, Cavalli and Pucci. You’re going to need to know your Sardinian from your Italian with one of Sydney’s most awarded pubs having received the full Ferrari makeover treatment.
The Welcome Hotel launches Ajo restaurant and joins the fine dining ranks. Boasting a supermodel-esque line of Sydney’s hottest young talent spanning Arras, Pilu, Glass and Aqualuna, you pretty much have all the SMH hatted restaurants covered and with Head Chef Daniel Mulligan (ex Pilu) having just returned from a research trip in Italy and Sardinia, oh Mamma Mia it’s good!
Kick off with Prosecco Treviso followed by olives, pecorino, salumi and Carta di Musica. Don’t miss the generous portions of crispy fennel seed battered zucchini flowers stuffed with goat’s cheese and a refreshing textural element of almonds. Queensland spanner crab arrives with edible flowers showering a fregola risotto. Not to be missed mains include a mustard crusted deboned spatchcock served in its cast iron pan juices. It’s juicy and beautifully smoked. Medals of mutton backstrap with quenelles of fennel cime di rape are sweetened by olive caramel. Dolci lovers are rewarded with Millefoglie of Amedei chocolate sails contrasted with swirls of rhubarb and rosemary. A plank of Italian cheeses; blue vein Blue ’61 and Rosso di Largo washed rind is matched beautifully with a wine that stops us in our tracks; a fine moussed Brachetto d’Acqui dessert wine bursting with wild strawberries.
Dine inside along the pinched leather wraparound seats or go semi al-fresco in the covered garden with light dancing across the leaves and carved screening. It’s a chef-tacular line up of food, wine and ambiance worth making an Italian song and dance about.
Ajò
The Welcome Hotel, 91 Evans Street, Rozelle 2039
(02) 9280 1323
Opening hours:
Lunch: Monday – Sunday, 12pm – 3pm
Dinner: Monday – Saturday, 6pm – 10pm
thewelcomehotel.com/ajo-italian-restaurant
