Osteria Mucca, a 50-seat Italian restaurant by the Continental Deli team, has opened on Newtown’s lively Australia Street, joining also-new siblings: sunshine-warm veg diner Flora and seafood party Mister Grotto. Meaning "cow" in Italian, the charming trattoria is housed in a former butcher shop and is serving up regional Italian classics and home-style recipes, including handmade pasta, beautiful charcuterie and quality cuts from its in-house butchery.
Leading the kitchen at Osteria Mucca is head chef Janina Allende, who's bringing a wealth of experience from running the kitchen at popular Pellegrino 2000 for more than two years, as well as spending time on the pans at Alberto’s Lounge and Bar Vincent.
“Her vision for Mucca centres on creating honest, carefully crafted dishes that highlight regional flavours, with a deep commitment to technique, seasonal produce and knowing the origins of every ingredient,” the team has said.
Opening menu highlights include pickled vegetables with fava bean purée; gnudi with brown butter and sage; lamb tartare with rocket and pecorino; veal tongue with salsa verde; and house-made sausage. Florence’s famous T-bone steak, bistecca alla Fiorentina, is also on the menu, and big enough to share between two. And we’d find it hard not to finish with a scoop (or three) of gelato.
Drinks-wise, expect wines produced by small, family-run Italian vineyards, alongside party-ready aperitivo cocktails and digestivi.
Just like all of Paisano & Daughters' venues – which also include the brand-new boutique Australia Street Suites – the design at Osteria Mucca is a knockout, thanks to co-owner and creative director Sarah Doyle. Forest-green-and-white chequered floors are complemented by vintage lighting, crisp white tablecloths and tiled walls. Walking into the light-filled space feels like taking a step back in time – it’s one of the most beautiful dining rooms we’ve seen lately.
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