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Change is afoot in Circular Quay with a spate of new openings pulling the precinct up by its Ken Done-patterned souvenir socks. These days, there are restaurants and bars coaxing visitors and locals to slow down and immerse themselves in the scene. Flaminia is up there with the best of them.
The vibe
The rain falls in silent sheets outside the glass-fronted Flaminia in Circular Quay. It’s scattering the tourists scuttling past in their Birkenstocks and plastic ponchos. We watch them racing for the Bungaree ferry bound for Milsons Point, queuing for gelato, and hustling along the promenade to the Opera Bar. There’s plenty to catch the eye on the harbour, as the heritage Manly ferry tears a rough seam through the water in its wake. It’s a front-row seat here at Flaminia, which presents like a ship that has chosen to dock permanently on Level 2 of the Pullman Quay Sydney Harbour. Fitting, really, given the new Italian restaurant by Giovanni Pilu and Marilyn Annecchini is named after the ship that brought Marilyn’s mother and grandmother to Australia in 1959. Studio Gram’s design leans into those maritime cues: warm timber tones, curves that call to mind water slapping against a hull and shipping rope coiled around soaring columns. Above our table hang whimsical pendant lights that look like they’ve been modelled on the BFG’s Dream-Blowing Trumpets. If I didn’t know better, I’d say they’d been deployed to blow Giovanni’s and Marilyn’s bottled dreams into this dining room. Despite the grey clouds darkening the skies, the mood inside is buoyant. There’s a mix of foodie tourists who’ve done their homework and loyal Pilu at Freshwater devotees keen to see what this new chapter looks like. But what best sums up the experience of dining at Flaminia is the buone vibrazioni delivered by next-gen Italian waitstaff like Catarina and Eduardo, who remind us that Sydney’s dining culture continues to be enriched by Italian stories.
The food
If Pilu at Freshwater is tethered to Sardinian tradition, Flaminia roams more freely, bouncing along the coastline from Cagliari to Napoli, Venezia, Genova and Palermo in celebration of Italy’s port cities. Before we begin our own voyage, we sidle up to the crudo bar to take in the shimmering line-up of seafood. Without prompting, the chef looks up from shucking Sydney rock oysters to tell us they’re from Tuross Lakes. The pesce del giorno, he adds, is silver trevally picked up from Sydney Fish Market that morning. Given Flaminia’s position on the harbour’s edge, it feels only right to be lured first by the Bermagui yellowfin tuna enlivened with tomatoes and a lick of olive oil, topped with baby capers and basil. We’re so absorbed in this ravishing dish we somehow miss the moment the 168,666-gross-tonne Quantum of the Seass pulls out of the harbour and through the Heads.
Our next port of call is Genova via testa in cassetta – a pressed mosaic of pork cheek and head meat cut into translucent slices served with shards of pane carasau so thin they resemble parchment paper. It’s an elegant celebration of cucina povera and nose-and-tail eating that are fundamentals of Italian cuisine. The spaghetti alla bottarga arrives with perfectly al dente strands of house-made pasta slicked in a silky sauce flecked with spanner crab, lemon myrtle and Pilu’s house-made bottarga. It’s elegant and umami-rich. Next, the Genovese polpette liguri is gently spiced, meatballs lifted by the caramelised tang of sweet, soft, roasted peppers. Alongside, an insalata verde with egg and Parmigiano Reggiano is dressed with precision, the perfect foil to polpette. We continue our trip through the ports with crema fritta – crunchy, oozy fried custard cream drizzled in honey with the bright, citrus flavour of candied orange.
The drinks
The 3P Martini is not so much a Dirty Martini – it’s filthy. Described by Eduardo, its creator, as ‘a Martini that tastes like bruschetta’ it is built around a base of Archie Rose True Cut Vodka, vermouth shaken with house-made tomato water blended with basil and a touch of garlic. It hits. The drinks list at Flaminia also favours Italian coastal varietals and includes smart by-the-glass options that pair well with the menu’s maritime bent. Put regional rivalries to one side and work your way along the coastline with creative cocktails like the Cagliari Halo and Negroni Sardo.
Time Out tip
Pop upstairs to El Vista, the Latin-inspired bar and lounge on Level 3 that is a collaboration between Accor’s Table For and the Maybe Group, with Giovanni Pilu taking care of the bar bites.
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Dining and Cooking