Overview
A little slice of the Mediterranean in North Sydney, Glorietta is located within the towering, glass-walled Dexus development and run by hospo guru Aaron Crinis — who is also responsible Glorietta's downstairs sister cafe Glory Days along with two much-loved Wollongong venues: Diggies Cafe and Dagwood Bar + Kitchen.
The sprawling, 220-seat restaurant and bar is designed by Alexander & Co, which is also responsible for the striking designs at Woolwich Pier Hotel, The Imperial and Stanton & Co, to name a few. Touches of the Mediterranean are evident in the bright and airy fit-out, which includes high ceilings, green marble and stone finishes, plus rendered bench seating, rattan chairs and timber furnishings. You can drink and snack in the courtyard, sit down for a full meal in the dining room or grab a seat at the long marble counter in front of the kitchen.
Kitti Gould
In that kitchen, chef Katie Morris (Coogee Pavilion) is plating up a menu that focuses on the Italian fare and simple, produce-centred food. Think starters like pan-fried squid with burnt shallot oil and charred sourdough and beef tartare.
Roman-style pizzas are a main draw card here, too, with the succinct, eight-piece menu cooked in a woodfired oven and featuring the likes of salami with jalapeño, mushroom with gruyère and cavolo nero, and zucchini with asparagus and cream.
Larger plates showcase fresh seafood, such as mussels in passata, king prawns in spicy cilantro sauce and market fish in burnt lemon and caramelised tahini. Seasonal salads and charred vegetables are each awarded their own section as well — and every salad can be topped with optional burrata for an extra $10. If you're looking to go down the pasta route, Crinis' favourite menu item is the spicy vodka pasta made with paccheri: a large, tube shaped pasta that resembles rigatoni.
Kitti Gould
The same dishes are available across the bar area, as is a menu of aperitif-style cocktails. On it, there are an impressive six different negronis, including the Bianco (Four Pillars Rare gin, aromatic Cap Mattei and Italian vermouth) and the not-so-traditional Mexicano (chilli and cacao-infused tequila, Campari, Italian vermouth, Creme de Cacao and Fernet Branca). For wine, Freddie Slater (Bentley) is across the refreshingly short list, which, fittingly, focuses on Italian varieties with a lean toward minimal-intervention drops.
At the moment, until February 28, Glorietta is also hosting a mid-week aperitivo hour. Running from 3–6pm daily, it features $6 wines and beers, $10 spritzes and negronis and $10 pizzette.
Find Glorietta at 100 Mount Street, North Sydney. It's open from Monday–Friday 11.45am–11pm.
Top images: Kitti Gould.