The shut down of Sydney’s eateries earlier this year really made me appreciate the seemingly simple experience of going out to eat. So what better way to celebrate dining out than with a delicious Italian feast?

Olio sits on an upper floor of the Old Rum Store building in Chippendale’s Kensington Street precinct. It sets itself apart from Sydney’s many other Italian restaurants by specialising in Sicilian cuisine, which strays away from traditional pizza and pasta and gravitates towards seafood dishes.

We start with a complimentary snack of fried bread topped with strands of zingy lemon peel and mayo. The bread is spongy and the texture is a little eggy inside. 

This starter is superb. The centrepiece is a tender octopus tentacle, finished on a grill so that the end is crispy and charred. It’s swimming in a spiced saffron sauce and topped with sugary sweet potato and a funky bottarga mayo.

These Hokkaido Scallops are divine. The silky, barely cooked pieces are splayed atop a bed of roasted cashew cream with tiny parsnip pieces. They come with a thin sesame lavosh which we use to scoop up every last bit of the dish.

This spanner crab pasta arrives grandly to the table. The sauce is unlike any other pasta sauce I’ve had before – it’s thick, seafood-y and has a subtle funkiness provided by the addition of spicy pork ‘nduja. I love this, it’s a really creative and tasty dish.

This is on the specials menu on the night we visit. The pasta is thicker than traditional spaghetti and has a harder bite. It pairs really well with the silky champagne crayfish and spicy tomato sauce. It’s a luxurious affair.

This earthy dish features a thick fillet of blushing wagyu in a truffle jus. A healthy shaving of black truffle on top is an opulent finishing touch.

This dessert caught my eye on the menu because I absolutely love pistachio! The tart is filled with a silky smooth pistachio custard which isn’t too light nor too heavy. Freshness is provided by a fior di latte ice cream and fresh berries. The pistachio macaron is an added bonus.

This is a very ornate way of serving what is usually a very simple dessert. It’s a hazelnut semifreddo with caramelised white chocolate, vermouth and cardamom.

Website: https://olio.kensingtonstreet.com.au/