There is some mighty fine Italian cuisine on offer in Sydney at the moment, if you are prepared to look beyond the poor facsimiles, and Sella Vinoteca is another exceptional example of that. Passionate owner Fabio Dore makes no apologies for his proud Sardinian roots, and the recent addition of Head Chef Stefano Gaspa (ex One Ford Street and Popolo) has taken that very personal commitment about showcasing that to another level. I have very fond memories of Stefano’s food at Popolo, and Sella in my opinion is a perfect placement for him to flourish further.
It is only fitting Sella’s exceptionally well-curated three glass award winning wine list (2021-2023) has its own boutique wine store attached to the Restaurant, where you can explore all the possibilities it has to offer. You can either select a bottle on your arrival, or purchase a bottle on the way home. Simply just let Fabio who has has literally lived, worked and breathed the vineyard life from a very young age apply his vinous knowledge for your palate and you cannot go wrong. His precise and heartfelt matchings aspire to the symbiotic beauty between food and wine, which is the underlying soul of Sella.
On arrival, the room is as warm as the service that greets you. You may elect to start at the intimate bar, or settle in at your table for the journey ahead, or perhaps even browse through the wine store. Having decided to let the kitchen send the food, I similarly hand over the wine wine matching options to Fabio to choose from the significant depth and breadth of wine matching options.
The sourdough swiftly arrives with a nicely textured olive oil, before the Sardinian journey properly commences with the best artichoke dish I have ever tasted. Astutely fried with potato, bottarga and saffron, it immediately has me asking exactly who is the kitchen. It is an evocative dish that elevates this humble produce to an almost other worldly level, and sets the benchmark from this point on.
The scallop gratinata with chive mayo has an unenviable task to follow, however it is skillfully textural with just the right amount of acidity to allow the delicate sweetness of the star to shine through in perfect harmony. Likewise, the impossibly tender fried octopus, with punchy agliata sauce and crispy potato just affirms my admiration of what is happening here. This Chef implicitly understands flavour, balance, texture and seasoning – all the essential keys to any culinary understanding. Enveloping all this, the diverse expression and varietals from the boutique wineries chosen wow my palate; having me soaking up the rich narrative interwoven with each glass. When we start looking more closely at wines side by side, the experience transcends what on face value was a nice neighborhood restaurant into something so much more.
Earlier in the week, an alluring black garlic spaghetti with chilli and stracciatella is posted on their socials and oh boy does it deliver on its promise. There is sweetness, heat, sourness and richness interwoven into a deceptively simple dish that ends up entirely memorable. Far more technical, not to mention intuitive in terms of timing, the quintessential Sardinian fregola, featuring a fisherman’s catch of cuttlefish, calamari, mussels and prawn ragú is an absolute triumph. Clearly, it is very close to the Chef’s heart, and the heartfelt authenticity can be tasted with every mouthful.
The Crema Catalana dessert seems like a playful contemporary nod to the historical Spanish influences that have played a part in Sardinia’s past, and it is particularly well executed. Sella’s website lists it as a Sardinian restaurant, wine bar, bistro and wine store, and it truly is the sum of all those parts. I promise that if you visit with a curiosity that permits the Chef to just feed you, and keep an open mind to tasting wine varietals you may have never tasted, you will be rewarded with a very special experience in return. Sella Vinoteca’s identity, like Sardinia, is fiercely independent in nature – and long may restaurants like this walk to the beat of their own cultural drum!
By Dane Richards
Sella Vinoteca
Tuesday to Thursday 5pm to late
Friday 4pm to late
Saturday to Sunday 12pm to late (snacks & small plates available from 3pm to 5pm)
0421343311
Shop 6/162-164 Barker Str, Randwick NSW 2031 NSW
Bookings | Website | Instagram | Facebook
