Osteria Coogee - Feock United Kingdom

Amazing food and great service! We had the cauliflower for starter which was amazing and the gnocchi for the main to share. Absolutely incredible. The best gnocchi dish I've ever had! Thanks for the great experience.

Today we had Sunday lunch at Osteria Coogee where I had my first experience with two new flavours, black garlic and Bottarga.<br/ <br/ Black garlic is used in paste form in the Kingfish dish and was styled to resemble a fish’s eye in impeccable plating. I was impressed with the flavour and what it did for Kingfish. The proportions were just right. <br/ <br/ My compliments to the Chef. <br/ <br/ Thanks to @foodtravelandaredhead for pointing me in the direction of Harris Farm Markets @harrisfarmmarkets to obtain some black garlic of my own to experiment with in my simple home cooking and to Chef for the introduction of two new flavours to my palate and ingredients in my home kitchen.<br/ <br/ <br/ We indulged in: <br/ <br/ MANGIAMO Menu $75 pp<br/ <br/ CROSTINI: Whipped Ricotta. Bottarga.<br/ <br/ CRUDO: Kingfish. Lemon. Parsley. Garlic.<br/ <br/ BURRATA: Pesto Trapanese.<br/ <br/ GNOCCHI: Porcini. Truffle.<br/ <br/ BISTECCA: Wagyu Flank. Gorgonzola.<br/ <br/ PATATE: Chat potato. Rosemary.<br/ <br/ VERDURA: Cabbage. Chilli. Garlic.<br/ <br/ TIRAMISU: Amaretto. Mascarpone.<br/

Osteria Coogee is the new kid on the block in Coogee, just opened in May. Off the main drag, it still has a coastal vibe to the restaurant and you feel like you are eating by the sea. <br/ <br/ Director (and a chef in his own right) Regan Porteous’ menu is good, unpretentious seasonal Italian food with a heavy focus on seafood. It’s food that you would have with an Italian family at home on a Sunday for a leisurely long lunch. <br/ <br/ As there were five of us we opted for the $75 Mangiamo set menu and we enjoyed each and every dish. The standout, however, for me was the gnocchi with porcini mushrooms and truffle (pictured) as well as the raw kingfish with black garlic purée which swam in a sea of olive oil, parsley and lemon (pictured). The set menu was generous and definitely good value for money. <br/ <br/ Although the staff were friendly and lovely, they were a bit slow on the day and this was the only disappointment. #osteriacoogee

Full disclosure: I’m co owner of another (amazing) Italian restaurant in Sydney.<br/ <br/ First impressions are of a classy but not over the top decor with areas for groups, families, romantics, and a bit of outdoors on clearer beach nights. The gorgeous square bar in the middle sits next to blonde wood furniture and moss green fabric benches.<br/ <br/ I had the Mangiamo tasting menu, which is great value considering the volume, variety, and quality of food that comes out.<br/ <br/ Crostini topped with delightful tiny whipped ricotta peaks with desiccated fish roe bottarga is a great start, along with a sip of Prosecco, swiftly followed by the kingfish carpaccio featuring dollops of black garlic and toasted garlic crumbs in a pool of lemony parsley oil.<br/ <br/ A bottle of Chianti Classico is opened.<br/ <br/ A generous ball of burrata on a Sicilian pesto is a creamy interlude, leading into a mind blowing bowl of gnocchi swimming in a shallow but rich pool of truffle paste and fresh, house marinated porcini.<br/ <br/ The bistecca is a tender flank of wagyu decedent and delicious (my second favourite Bistecca in town haha). The gorgonzola whipped mascarpone is rich and only occasional tiny slivers are needed to alter the beauty of a chargrilled steak. The sweet, buttery roasted chats draped in fresh rosemary sprigs would bring an Irishperson to tears with their homage to the humble earth apple. The warm salad of kale, sprouts, and cabbage with delicate fresh chillies and rich, drinkable (I did) broth helps cut through the richness elsewhere on the table.<br/ <br/ At this point, I’m very, very full. Dessert stomach is called to action, with a shot of limoncello to help dissect the almond biscuit dominated tiramisu. The sponge fingers are lightly coated in coffee with a light cream punctuated with crunchy biscuit crumbs. Not traditional, but a satisfying completion to an epic meal.

It’s not often where I visit a restaurant and I’m blown away by everything I order. The cassarecce dish was probably my favorite. The perfect Sunday brunch/lunch vibe with an awesome happy hour to top it off. Already looking forward to coming back!