Fugazzi Bar & Dining Room — Restaurant in Adelaide

30 is an important milestone, an age where you leave your adolescence behind and embrace your place on the world stage, an age of big risks and even bigger rewards. And so it was my wife and I, for our combined 30th birthday, decided to throw caution to our bank account and celebrate at the fanciest joint in Adelaide. Here enters Fugazzi, boasting an unforgettable and unmatchable Italian meal hosted in classic New York style. Before you read on let me promise you, Fugazzi delivers.

Upon entering the cosily lit restaurant we were greeted by staff who embodied the idea of hospitality, both polite and courteous, smartly dressed and moving with purpose. For a Wednesday night both the bar and restaurant were humming with activity, and it was only by luck that we were able to find a table without a reservation (a lesson for the future). Our waitress for the evening was Bella, a young and bright young woman who seated us and handed us menus. She was knowledgeable about what was offered despite being a recent addition to the team at Fugazzi, and recommend we try the 5 course meal to sample a bit of everything that the restaurant had to offer.

The opening courses were an interesting selection of delicacies which we paired with a dry rosè. Pacific oysters with garlic butter opened the night and as it was the first time popping my oyster cherry I was slightly nervous. However despite the texture they were fantastic, incredibly flavoursome and the small spring onion swirl added a little sweetness. Next was the Hiramasa kingfish crisp (which we very maturely nicknamed the fish nacho). It wasn't much to write about unfortunately, not an unpleasant meal by any means but just not overly inspiring. Fish with a crisp. Luckily this was followed by an unbelievably delicious course of Gnocco fritto with honey and ricotta. Whilst a quite sweet and dare I say not overly complex dish, this was probably my favourite as it was a case of simple done perfectly. Fluffy fritto, sweet honey and creamy ricotta, what's not to like? The last of the starter line up was artichokes with prosciutto. This was quite a nice way to finish off the round, smooth and salty without being too heavy.

The main courses were pasta and steak so we wanted to pair these with a fresh, middle of the road merlot, but were told they didn't have any. Thankfully the sommelier recommended a deliciously bodied Nero d'Avola for us which we were very pleased with. The pasta dish was a tomato base, with spirals (apologies for the exact name) with a spiced sausage, which was good but extremely heavy on the fennel. It certainly overpowered the other flavours but was not wholly unpleasant. The steak dish however was a mixed reaction at our table. The cut itself was medium rare wagyu and presented on a bed of mash with a spring onion oil and marsala jus. The meat was just ok, not bad but not something I couldn't have done better on the barbecue at home. However the 50/50 mash (butter and potato) was simply outstanding and the jus was to die for. They certainly carried the lacklustre meat and rounded out the mains nicely.

Dessert was a delightful end to the cavalcade of delicious meals. The coffee affogato was warm, smooth and melted exquisitely on the tongue. These were paired with truffles, a caramel and yuzu and chocolate Cointreau varieties. The yuzu was unusual and perhaps a bit much, but overall satisfying conclusion to the food. To end it all we sat at the bar and enjoyed cocktails and the bartenders at Fugazzi must be commended for making a superb old fashioned. Nothing pretentious, just a good stiff drink.

Let me be clear when I say Fugazzi probably isn't an experience for every day (unless you're a millionaire then go crazy) but I think that's what...

TLDR: In summary: A consistent lack of care from start to finish, we left dissapointed after 1 drink and 1 course each and went back to Osteria Oggi where we were greeted, made to feel welcome and served superb food and drinks by passionate and professionals Samuel, Tess & Zac. Hard to believe they are both owned by same group?

We were initially excited to attend and had heard great things about Fugazzi. Unfortunately, reality did not match the expectation of a fine dining experience in a premier restaurant.

Having read a few of the 1 and 2 star reviews I can only concur with most of their comments and hopefully the management will not dismiss these as frivolous or petty but genuine disappointment and a failure of the management/staff to maintain the high standard that, obviously, some 4 and 5 star reviewers have received.

Seating: cramped, impersonal and appears to be somewhat "greedy" and possibly designed to extract maximum covers at the expense of patron's comfort/privacy?

Service: MIA after being seated to the point I was ready to leave as I felt totally ignored, When he did appear he immediately, and without checking or asking, said "Here's some tap water" No option for sparkling, No greeting, No courtesy inquiry, No introduction or his name. When I said we'd prefer sparkling for both he obliged but, why not just carry both... or just ask?

Another 10-15 mins later and we get to order a drink, Champagne for her ($23) and Grey Goose Martini ($26) for me. Fair enough, a martini takes longer to make than pouring a glass... but why not make the martini first and bring both at same time not 5-10 mins apart? When the martini did arrive ... there were two... I indicated my wife's Champagne and said we only ordered one but if it was a 2 for 1 offer I'd be happy to accept? No answer was the humourless reply.

Really not feeling it so far, but, we decide to just order a couple of starters and see if the food redeems all the other inconveniences?

We ordered the 2x Fried Zucchini Flower with Roast Pumpkin, Ricotta & Toasted Cumin @ $13 each. Having experienced a similar dish earlier in the week at another SA restaurant that was light, delicate and simply sensational we, again, had high hopes for a speciality Italian restaurant to shine and deliver. Nope. Tiny. Oily, over cooked (deep fried) and, strangely, Sweet like it had a honey glaze over it? Weird and not pleasant possibly cooked in oil used for multiple foods that transferred foreign tastes to the batter (did not look like a light tempura?)

The second small plate was 2x Hand Picked Blue Swimmer Crab & Pickled Cucumber Roll @ $16 each. In a word, Tiny. The ratio of crab to whatever the white sauce was that it was drowned in was not generous and not balanced... again it appears "greedy" and a management focused on profit rather than a balance of fair compensation for the restaurant group and the enjoyment of the patron.

We left, not wanting our last night in SA to be tarnished by a negative experience.

I paid the waiter - no enquiry as to my experience, no thank you for dining.. Nada. No tip...

Our evening at Fugazzi Wine and Bar, originally anticipated as a delightful culinary journey, began with a jarring reality check courtesy of the maître d’. Upon arrival, we were promptly reminded—nay, scolded—that our reservation came with a ticking clock. Ushered to our table with precision, we were introduced to our waiter, who, we were told, would serve us “soon.” But before that, the maître d’ took the opportunity to remind us again that we had a limited window to enjoy our meal. Because, you know, nothing says “relax and savour” like an invisible timer over your head.

The first interaction with our waiter did little to soothe the mood. He graciously offered us sparkling water, which, to our surprise, was warm, flat, and tasted like it had been suffocating in a silver jug all day. My sexy wife, in her infinite grace, requested the waiter’s choice of champagne, which turned out to be an excellent selection—kudos to him for at least nailing that part. After serving the drinks, he mentioned that he’d advise the chef of our tasting menu choice and once again reiterated our limited dining time.

The food? Absolutely delicious. A true testament to the culinary artistry of the kitchen staff. The kitchen executed every dish flawlessly, each plate a masterpiece of flavour and presentation. The service? Let’s call it “overzealous,” with the constant reminders about our fleeting time almost becoming a theme of the night. Even as we indulged in dessert, the waiter managed to slip in another gentle prod about our impending departure. By then, it felt less like fine dining and more like speed dating with food.

When the bill arrived—$258.90 for the chef’s tasting menu—it was reasonable given the culinary effort. But the final act? Being practically ushered out of the restaurant like overstaying guests at a party was the icing on a bittersweet cake. Adding insult to injury, other tables, which had arrived before us, appeared to be enjoying a leisurely evening, free from the tyranny of a time limit. Apparently, the Fugazzi clock ticks differently for different patrons.

The experience was, in a word, underwhelming. I’ve encountered warmer hospitality buying a toasted ham sandwich and a bottle of spring water from a food van. At least the food van operator doesn’t hover over me, reminding me I have five minutes to finish my meal.

Final Rating: • Food: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (Chef, take a bow.) • Service: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (Attentive, but please stop nagging.) • Hospitality: -⭐ (Minus one star for making me feel like I was dining in a game show with a...