The heritage-listed former post office, previously home to One Penny Red in Summer Hill, has transformed into a charming Italian diner with chef Alessandro Pavoni of Ormeggio, A’Mare, and Chiosco leading the kitchen. He’s joined by his business-and-life-partner, Anna Pavoni, and co-owner Bill Drakopoulos.
Called Postino Osteria (it's a play on words: "Postino" means both ‘postman’ and ‘small but cosy place’ in Italian), the restaurant is inspired by the simple and traditional trattorias found all over Italy. The team wants it to be a spot where locals can drop in for a bowl of pasta, a glass of wine after work, and where the staff know your favourite aperitivo by heart.
Here, you can expect a casual and affordable dining experience (including a five-course set menu for $79 per person) with well-executed, delicious snacks, larger plates and traditional Italian dishes, backed up by excellent cocktails, a strong wine list, and warm service led by Gianluca Esposto. Flavours will take diners from Piedmont to Sicily, with many dishes influenced by the northern Italian region of Lombardy, where Pavoni is from.
Opening menu highlights include stracciatella with Cantabrian Sea anchovies and sundried tomatoes; fava bean purée with Pugliese-style chicory ripassata, Tuscan pecorino and Calabrian chilli; slow-cooked Blackmore Wagyu tonnato with tuna mayonnaise, pine nuts and capers (a similar dish at Chiosco lives rent-free in my mind); and house-made egg spaghetti with tiny meatballs, Abruzzo sugo and Pecorino Romano.
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Inside the timber-clad dining room the decor is rich and warm, with deep reds, earthy tones, marble tables and brass finishes.
While it may seem like a bold move for the chef, who is used to cooking by the sea, to open a restaurant in Summer Hill, it’s actually a return to the couple’s roots. Anna Pavoni told Time Out, “Alessandro and I actually met in the Inner West; it’s our original hood where we lived, so we’re so happy to be back in the area. It’s so exciting.”
And there's more to come, with Pavoni and the Ormeggio team opening a beachfront restaurant in Manly this summer. We're excited, too.
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