Amoretti's Abbotsbury — Restaurant in Sydney

Dinner review - Food was tasty however overpriced for what you receive. Service very strange and intimidating. Steak arrived medium rare instead of medium well. Pizza guy rolling cigarettes next to his pizza dough, rolls a ciggie then continues to need his pizza dough without washing his hands. Glad we didn’t order pizza.

We frequent Italian restaurants all around the globe and decided to try this little hidden hideaway in the parklands.

Upon entry we are met with a very dark and confusing entry, hardly enough light to walk the steps, the elderly could easily fall over. Add some light please.

Then just in front of the door there is a spider web which hasn’t been removed, it was low down and if I was taller I would have walked right into it, straight away we worry about the cleanliness of the place.

Next there is a sign outside ‘wait here to be seated’ which was odd, door closed. We opened the door and an informal welcome from bar staff and we are seated.

No atmosphere. We wait 10 minutes before I wave down someone to take our drink order. Not even table water provided in those first 10 mins.

Beer was warm, wines were great.

$4.95 for a peice of rustic bread, we were expecting a bread bowl Italian way, instead a single piece of bread on a plate for $4.95, baked fresh which is good.

Entrees were tasty. Mains were great except for a bleeding steak which we ordered medium well.

Service was sort of strange, the waiter stands behind me when I’m ordering and is some sort of intimidating, no smiles or conversation.

This place was very off the mark in terms of service and atmosphere relative to price they charge....

I hadn’t been to Amoretti’s in about four years, and unfortunately, time has not been kind. Once a place I’d happily recommend, now it feels like a restaurant going through the motions.

The menu? About as exciting as a wet Tuesday. The entrees were just OK – the salt & pepper squid wasn’t terrible, but let’s just say it won’t be haunting my dreams anytime soon. The grilled octopus was a hit with two of our group, so credit where it’s due.

Now, let’s talk about the bruschetta – or what I think was bruschetta. It looked like someone halved a ciabatta, topped it with halved cherry tomatoes, and drizzled it with olive oil and balsamic like they were running late for a dentist appointment. Basic at best, baffling at worst.

Mains? I went with the Tortellini Boscaiola – overcooked pasta drowning in a creamy sauce so excessive it looked like a dairy-based natural disaster. The pork cutlet was cooked well, but about as memorable as plain toast.

But here’s the kicker – the website boldly claims “we are devoted to providing you with an exceptional dining experience rooted in Italian culture with a modern flair.” What we got? A menu that barely whispers “Italian” and presentation that’s more school canteen than sophisticated cucina. Quite annoying, really.

Would I return? Not a chance. Amoretti’s once had charm – now, it's more ‘meh’ than amore. Though I’ve heard Narellan might be a step up from Abbotsbury… might be worth a gamble if you’re...

Gabriele Moretti was quoted in the SMH today saying he would not prevent unvaccinated customers from attending, and Amoretti's has been welcoming unvaccinated customers on Facebook. "I can't be filtering customers based on their [vaccination] status," he said, incorrectly.

Given the way that COVID-19 spreads in restaurants, I think that's irresponsible. I don't want to give my business to anyone that's going to expose me to a lethal disease, I'll only be making bookings at restaurants with 100% vaccinated staff and 100% vaccinated customers, and I'll be actively ostracising antivaxxers.

Although anti-discrimination law prohibits refusing service on the basis of someone's race, religion, gender, national identity, disability, and a small number of other categories, there is no law which prevents a business from discriminating on the basis of vaccination status, and a lot of Amoretti's competitors will be providing customers with a vaccination guarantee. I encourage anyone entering a restaurant to first ask if they accept unvaccinated customers, and, if they do, go elsewhere.

Dying on a ventilator from a preventable disease is worse than pineapple on pizza; They're our table-stakes now. If Amoretti's wants to expose their customers to that kind of risk, the rest of us get to vote...