In Short: North Sydney’s newest and most exciting venue to open. Glorietta serves pizza, pasta and refined plates including giant steaks and fish of the day. Our pick is either the fish of the day or the pasta featuring crab.
North Sydney is undergoing a renaissance in a dining sense. I started working working in North Sydney in 1999 and in those pre-dot-com days I recall Friday afternoons where employees of high riding tech companies were out with their company credit cards on long lunches in what was a vibrant dining scene. And then, the crash came and slowly the restaurant scene faded away. While Greenwood Hotel and Greenwood Chinese Restaurant prospered, there was not much else going on. As the twenties get underway, a raft of development has seen a number of openings. Late last year we ventured into the new Dexus building to sample bagels and coffee at Glory Days , and little did we know that the glory would continue with the opening of a much larger sibling in Glorietta in in late 2019. Walking in, we are greeted by a friendly smiling team and an exciting vibe.
It’s a big space, with seating for approximately 200. It’s risky, but by the end of our meal, I feel, totally justified. There is a pizza section, a well stocked gleaming bar, a separate dining bar, indoor and outdoor seating.
The menu is extensive at Glorietta. From pizzas to seafood and pastas, there is definitely plenty to please! We popped in for a quick lunch, but were able to sample a nice cross section of the menu. We had walked past the oyster bar, and knew that a half dozen was a prerequisite. Exquisite delicacies from Wagonga Inlet were plump and creamy and helped along by a mignonette dressing that is both sweet and tart.
From oysters, I launched into an inviting bowl of pasta featuring Linguine, Crab, Zucchini and Peas. An accomplished pasta offering filled with the flavour of crab. It’s a pasta with so much seafood flavour. I loved the play between the soft sweet crab and perfectly cooked al dente pasta and the peas.
When I first met Mavis, I literally had to drag her into a fish and chips shop. She was particularly daunted by the flavour of fish, yet twenty years on, she has come to appreciate and love seafood. Our weekly meals are rarely without a salmon or barramundi offering. At Glorietta, she jumps at the opportunity to try the fish of the day, which was a Silver Dory. It was cooked to perfection. Delicious crispy golden edges transitions to a sweet yet firm flesh. Mated to a caramelised tahini mayo it is just fish perfection. I loved that nuttiness from the mayo, and while silver dory may not be a rockstar fish, it is elevated here at Glorietta!
A tomato salad completed lunch. Not any ordinary tomato salad mind you. Heirloom tomatoes topped off with burrata. Creamy burrata is a perfect partner to tomatoes. The acidity of the flesh and juices cutting through the richness of the cheese. The heirlooms range from sweet to acidic, and to smoky and savoury in flavour. Once you go heirlooms it’s tough to go back to regular tomatoes.
Glorietta will definitely have the Cocoandvine team coming back. In fact, as of writing we have made plans to return to try out the pizza and as the of the last of the summer days roll in, take in Aperitivo of an evening.
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