Overview
The casual sibling to Stokehouse above (where rowdy Pontoon once lived), this laidback, all-day spot is a go-to for Mediterranean eats and beachside sips. Hugh and Pete van Haandel (sons of Stokehouse precinct owner Frank van Haandel) are steering the venue's latest guise, built around a pasta-heavy food offering that fuses European flavours with Aussie flair.
Breezy coastal-inspired interiors and timber finishes are set against the backdrop of sand and sea, and there's been a strong focus on sustainability throughout the build and in the ongoing offering.
Food at Stokehouse Pasta & Bar bears similar DNA to the restaurant upstairs, yet with a much more casual lean. It's especially primed for seaside snacking sessions, with the likes of Marlin crudo with peach and fennel, anchovy toast with pickled capsicum, and wagyu bresaola with blood plum. Move into pasta territory for plates like crab, garlic and chilli spaghetti, fusilli with basil, pistacio and parmesan, and rgatoni with pranws. There are also hearty mains including fish and chips with tartar sauce, a woodfired half chicken with white romesco or a grass-fed 300 gram scotch fillet.
While the sun is still setting late into the evening, and to make the most of the end of summer, Stokehouse Pasta & Bar have launched a late-afternoon offering, $30 Sticks & Spritz. Between 3 and 5pm daily, you can grab a spritz, Aperol, or Limoncello, plus three skewers, for just $30. Skewers include the likes of lamb with apricot and rosemary and octopus with chorizo and black garlic. The perfect pit stop after work, or snack to line your stomach before dinner.
Also out to save you some coin is Stokehouse Pasta & Bar's wine list, where the lineup trips from Australia to Europe, with pours to suit palates both simple and adventurous; while cocktails span from the classics to signature offerings like the Stokehouse Spritz — a delicate blend of Amaro, orange, white peach and jasmine soda.
Images: Interiors by Tom Blachford, Food and Drink by Arianna Leggiero.
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