Norcino — Restaurant in Sydney

Norcino is located at the Channel 10 building, right under it. It's a small, corner shop next to an open courtyard. The inside of the store is tiny, so additional tables have been added outside in the courtyard area. There's a kind of seaside deli vibe with the pale blue wood panelling. Along the back wall are meat curing chambers filled with hanging meats. Now the intro is done, I"m going to get to the point. While the food tasted great (with some exceptions I'll mention soon), the portion sizes were absolutely ridiculous. The three of us found ourselves having to keep ordering food to get to a semblance of being satisfied, and I'm the only big eater in that group. By the time we were ok, the bill was $450, which included one bottle of wine. We ordered the roasted tomato with the cheese. It was 4 small wedges of tomato on something of a soup of cheese. $24 for less than one tomato and some cheese is unequivocally ridiculous to the point where I didn't get enough of a taste to tell you if it was good or not. We ordered 3 pastas with good flavours, except that one of them was cold and the carbonara was stodgy. Possibly an issue at the pass where the plates might have sat for too long. The quantities were also very small, and they were all upper twenties to lower thirties in cost and none of the pasta was hand made in the store. Cacio e pepe is just pepper, cheese and boiled pasta! When you look at the pictures, don't be fooled by the rims of the plates, look at the size of the cutlery compared to the quantity to get a realistic indication. We wanted the bistecca, but there was none left so we ordered the scotch fillet. This is where they really shone. It was a really nice couple of pieces of steak. I don't remember if the broccolini was the large size or the small. I feel like it must have been the large because I was once again surprised by the quantity despite my expectations being already set. Tiramisu was great. The texture was that perfect velvety texture you want from a tiramisu. I have to mention our waitress. She was really fantastic, the Japanese girl with tattoos and a long swept back bob.

We went for a kebab afterwards.

PS. I want to make it clear that these points are mainly because of the unexpectedly small serving sizes. I would give it more than 4 stars if I was judging by...

A Night at Norcino: An Italian Celebration

For our birthday, we took the ambitious step of booking Norcino entirely to celebrate with our closest friends and family. The result? An evening that transcended the ordinary, thanks to the heartfelt efforts of Fabio, Mattia, and Arno.

The Ambiance: Picture stepping into an Italian courtyard, but here in Pyrmont. Norcino became our private Roman retreat for the night. The magical atmosphere buzzed with laughter, the sound of toasting glasses, and a warm, inviting light, crafting a setting reminiscent of a beautiful, authentic Italian banquet.

The Food: Chef Fabio doesn't merely cook; he embodies Roman culinary spirit. His dishes are not just food; they're an homage to his heritage, each crafted with precision and care. The flavors are a vibrant dialogue between tradition and taste, with each course narrating a piece of Italy's culinary legacy.

The Service: Handling such a large group could have been daunting, yet Mattia and his team made it look effortless. Their service was a blend of efficiency and warmth, managing to cater to every guest’s needs with the grace of seasoned Italian hosts. They ensured everyone felt like part of the family.

The Planning: Arno's role in orchestrating this event was pivotal. His planning months ahead ensured that what could have been just a dinner turned into an intimate yet grand celebration. His passion for detail was the bedrock of our night’s triumph.

The Experience: Our decision to book Norcino for our celebration was a stroke of genius. The restaurant didn't just provide a meal; it delivered an experience. The authenticity of Fabio’s cuisine, the heartfelt service from Mattia, and Arno's meticulous organization merged to create an evening that was truly a festa Italiana. Their collective passion transformed our dinner into an unforgettable memory.

Rating: 5/5 - For an unparalleled journey through Italian cuisine, service that feels like family, and an atmosphere that transports you to Italy.

Would Recommend: Absolutely. Whether it's for a grand event or an intimate gathering, Norcino is the place. Fabio, Mattia, and Arno don’t just operate a restaurant; they craft experiences that echo the...

When I give 5 🌟 stars 🤩 it’s because they deserve it. I generally don’t review places I don’t love and if I do give a bad review they had to do something very wrong.

Let me tell you about Arnolfo the Roman and how I came to want to give him 5 🌟. I met him at a country weekend near Rylstone and he explained to me what he was about to offer me - “its a coppa romana - you know the Stanley tucci talked about it on a recent series” I can’t write Italian accented english very well. But you get my gist. What I then ate was a part of the pig the Italians call “the fifth quarter” which was usually reserved for the peasants - but frankly and often I find this - the peasants in these countries eat very well indeed.

And so I promised to visit Norcino but before I even got the chance it came up listed as one of the top new dining experiences in sydney and then I saw it also on one of those instagram feeds where they ask the best local chefs in the industry what their go to places are.

Well let me just say that my meal there was most excellent - can I also add that there were no freebies I don’t get anything for free I do this for pleasure - and visiting Norcino would be one of my top dining experiences for 2024.

Why ? The cleanliness of the drying cool rooms of hanging meats, the delicatessen styled front counter, the lack of any pretension other than it’s just about good food and an open indoor outdoor atmosphere and then the fact that it’s an owner operator of passion and education and that you are in the hands of someone who knows food back to front.

Look 👀 if you want a sandwich that’s close to perfection in terms of bread and ingredients, crunchy and natural and flavoursome - if you want a platter of cheeses 🧀 and salumi and porchetta in that al fresco way where you wouldn’t mind passing the whole afternoon in this manner - then you have found your place.

And frankly, though it sort of feels on the map like it’s hard to get to - in actual fact it’s easy peasy japanesey.

Do not delay - go and try it before they...