✍️ Time Out Sydney never writes starred restaurant and bar reviews from hosted experiences – Time Out covers restaurant and bar bills, and anonymously reviews, so that readers can trust our critique. Find out more, here.
If Pino’s Vino e Cucina al Mare were a cocktail it would be a Limoncello Spritz. In contrast, the Alexandria outpost, Pino's Vino e Cucina, would be a Negroni. That’s how restaurant manager Isaias Sirur summed up the difference between the two Sydney siblings founded by restaurateur Matteo Margiotta.
While the dimly lit Alexandria venue harks back to Margiotta’s cosy family home in Rome, the setting and style of the Cronulla venue pays tribute to a beach holiday he enjoyed with his wife Nerina and two daughters in Puglia. Sure, there’s a bit of cross pollination between the venues – both of which pay homage to Margiotta’s dad, Pino – and menus – which favour seasonal, produce-driven cooking.
But al Mare is, as the name suggests, very much of the sea, its seafood-centric menu going a step further in reminding diners of its proximity to the Pacific Ocean.
I’m one of many long-time residents of Cronulla that feel a sense of ownership over the building Pino’s is housed in. Pino’s, formerly The Old Library and 1908, began life as a Methodist church in 1908 and was converted to a library in the 1970s. I took my young children to story time at the old library. And attended group boxing classes in the adjoining hall. Margiotta says it was a long-held dream of his to open a restaurant in the ivy-clad building precisely because “it’s in the heart of the community”.
While the space was first reimagined into a restaurant in 2011, Margiotta has worked with acclaimed interior designer Nic Graham (QT Sydney) to honour the bones of the original building. The whitewashed space has soaring ceilings up-lit with terracotta sconces, an assortment of Italian earthenware lining the walls and potted olive trees all around.
Margiotta (ex-Garfish, Cottage Point Inn) has brought his 2IC, executive chef Cristiano Patacca, across to oversee the move to the Sutherland Shire where he and his family now call home. He says his loyal customers from Pino’s Vino e Cucina in Alexandria should expect “a sea change” when they visit the stylish Cronulla sibling.
Our dining companions tonight include a young couple who roll in with their two-week old baby in a pram. A Woronora family celebrating a 60th. And a couple who I recognise as regulars from cult café Grind Espresso across the way.
View this post on Instagram
We’re seated near the window where we watch the passing parade of locals strolling to and from the beach. Despite being smack-bang in the middle of Cronulla, Pino’s Vino e Cucina al Mare is not posey or pretentious.
And much of that has to do with Margiotta and his friendly team who welcome their customers like friends.
The drinks list is also worth a shoutout: it features a whopping 263 labels and a total of 1736 bottles of wines. There are robust Italian wines, stellar Australian varietals and South African wines that honour Margiotta’s wife’s heritage, as well as 33 wines by the glass and 238 spirits and liqueurs. If you love a Limoncello Spritz, try Pino’s version of the Italian classic with home-made limoncello. It’s the perfect cocktail to toast the arrival of this exciting new neighbourhood restaurant.
Next, we order two fat Abrolhos Island scallops that are served on a slick of Jerusalem artichoke and walnut oil puree that is so rich and rounded you will want to lick the shells clean. The menu at Pino’s is designed by Patacca and Margiotta around homey Italian cuisine that is elevated with clever flourishes and a solid technical grounding. This is my third visit to Pino’s Vino e Cucina al Mare. And I can’t imagine not ordering the maccheroncini alla vodka with freshly picked crab meat. The house-made tubes of pasta are cooked to al dente and the vodka gives the sauce a creamy, cohesive texture. It pairs perfectly with a glass of 2015 Pacina ‘Rosso’ sangiovese, canaiolo and ciliegiolo from Toscano, Italy.
Our main of eye fillet is cooked medium rare and has a nice crust on it. It’s served with a rich jus and textures of artichoke roasted to crisp on the outside that makes for a lovely contrasting crunch. A green leafy salad, properly dressed, provides the perfect foil.
While the generous by-the-glass options are appreciated, we do as Sirur suggests and order the half carafe of Chris Ringland ‘North Barossa’ shiraz to share. After all these big flavours, an affogato with a cool scoop of ice cream and amble along the Esplanade is the perfect finish. Forget social media trends. This remix of the restaurant in Alexandria speaks to a near decade-long collaboration between Margiotta and Patacca. And while generosity and great service set the tone at both restaurants, Pino’s is Margiotta’s heart-on-his-sleeve love song to the coastlines of both Puglia and Cronulla.
Stay in the loop: sign up for our free Time Out Sydney newsletter for more news, food & drink inspo and activity ideas, straight to your inbox.