The Restaurant Pendolino — Restaurant in Sydney

Ok, so there's a bit of tech talk here. Been here 20+ times over the decades. The peak for my experience was first post covid opens...amazing. Tonight was an all-time low. The bread has faded. Yeah, the focaccia is still the stand out (though the charcoal thing is too recent to be nostalgic, and too old to be contemporary)...the others, poor, probably lunch service bread at dinner. Not good enough at this level. The appetiser plate has real problems. The non soup items are...ok...monochromatic.. I could go on, but there's lots else to cover. Tomato consomme peaked at restaurant Bouley, NYC early 90s. I know, I made it. It's all about the tomatoes. Here, they're so lacklustre (yeah, aussie tomatoes...errr) that the liquid is indiscipherable from its source. If it's not extraordinary, dont serve it at this level. But pastas is where this place shines. Used to. The fine pappardelle is triumphant, but when this fine, it's going to stay at its peak for 3 minutes, Max. That's why it can only be utilised for a tasting appetiser size. Sadly, here, by the time even the quickest eater gets to the halfway point, the symphony has ...ended. The boar and beef sauce has good bones (literally), though not a shred (literally) of meat to be found in a "ragu" (figuratively?) Sauce. The tagliatelle is a "coulda shoulda." Had the beautiful pasta been given 30 seconds more to bleed a little more of its starch into the sauce, it would have been a pasta dish instead of pasta with sauce. Yes, the quail egg yolk potentially acts as a liaison (literally), but it needed the dish to have that extra 30 seconds to unionise. The mixed salad i simply don't understand whatsoever. Chopped like a classic American style with lots of ingredients that all taste of nothing. This concept can work when the ingredients are extraordinary and the flavours mixed symphonically. And the dressing, well, I've actually forgotten it... not a good sign. I suspect the chocolate truffle is olive oil based. That means it didn't melt in the mouth. Maybe a warning would have helped with my expectations. The service was great and the Manager close to tears when she realised we were leaving unhappy. Its hard, but last thing wanted when you're off to a show is a deep and dark dialogue, with possible arguments about your opinion, and offers for money you don't need, and returns you don't want. I've been in her shoes. It hurts. I think if you haven't been, then, maybe. If you have, hold onto the memory. Nino, pick up the game, brother. You're charging for extraordinary, not good, or even very good. And Nino, I know...

The Restaurant Pendolino deserves more than 5 stars

My husband and I booked a 4-course meal for his birthday dinner and everything was just sublime. From the complimentary breads (which I must say deserve a review of its own as they were amazing!) to the first course all the way to the end of the meal, everything was just beyond compare. Although, the night wouldn’t have been perfect if it weren’t for the exemplary service of their staff, all of them, and we would like to make a special mention to Oliver, Andrew, and Ben, for taking pride in their service and making sure that we are having one of the best dinner experience we’ve ever had in a while. They deserve all the compliments they will be receiving and have received, as I’m sure this was not and will not be the only time they’re recognised. The whole time we were there, my husband and I were already planning on coming back. We sure do hope they receive more than bountiful glowing compliments.

I am a bit confused by some of the reviews stating that they were surprised when they were handed their bill, implying that they were somehow duped into paying hidden charges for drinks, for that was just far from our experience. They certainly make you aware of the costs of everything that is not part of your meal, e.g. handing you a menu of wine selection before pouring you a glass from their cart. You really have to pay attention to your sommelier and the wait staff. One bit of advice, don’t go there and ignore them, and then complain about having to pay for the wine. I’m sorry if that sounds a bit harsh, but this restaurant and its staff deserve better reviews, fair reviews.

Before I forget, hats off to everyone in that kitchen, you guys are magicians! The food, my goodness, it’s just perfection!

Thank you The Restaurant Pendolino, you’ve earned...

It’s been a long time between events, and, with the hospitality industry being one of the hardest hit by the pandemic, it was well overdue for a party. Luckily PorkStar, Australian Pork Ltd’s foodservice brand, know how to throw a good shindig. They gathered together Sydney’s most influential chefs, farmers and food industry leaders, and assembled them around head chef and restauranteur, Nino Zoccali’s table. Quite fitting really, as Pendolino Strand Arcade Sydney sits right in the epicentre of the CBD venues hardest hit by our changing behaviour through the course of the pandemic.

After greeting industry standouts like Darren Templeman, Danny Russo, Mark Jensen, Colin Fassnidge, Manu Feildel, and Miguel Maestre, along with key food media, like ABC Sydney’s Simon Marnie and Lyndey Milan OAM, the 60 of us sat down to an indulgent feast. Australian pork was of course the centrepiece, across dumplings in trotter and pork bone broth, and Zia Lidia’s olive-stuffed polpettine served split and skewered in a puddle of creamy joy.

Under a sheet of translucent lardo, rounds of toothsome corzetti (Roman coin pasta) mingled with a rosemary-spiked blonde bolognaise. Perfectly pink in the centre, pork tournedos, served alongside beetroot rapa, autumn vegetables and fennel spice, were almost upstaged by an accompanying bowl of Nino’s wonderful pork fat Dutch cream spuds. Even the classic Pendolino nougat semifreddo got its own porky infusion, with a pork fat crostini dusted in icing sugar.

Best thing about the night: hearing chefs talk about the pivots they made during COVID-19 to save their businesses, feed their staff, and nourish the parts of themselves that got them into hospitality in the first place. I left extremely well nourished and buoyed about the...