Overview
Salt Meats Cheese has expanded again. This time, it has ventured across the Bridge — to the northern beaches. The restaurant chain's sixth New South Wales establishment, which opens its doors today, is a 120-seater located on the ground floor of the Lighthouse by Meriton in Dee Why. It boasts a big open kitchen, lots of reclaimed timber and recucled terracotta tiles and its signature woodfired pizza oven. And it's the chain's biggest venue yet.
The pizzas are, of course, the hero here, and include house favourites like the Amatriciana — topped with smoked scamorza, amatriciana sauce, pancetta and pecorino — and the Tartufo, made with fior di latte, mushrooms, pecorino and truffle oil. A new (extravagant) signature sees house-made dough topped with Balmain Bugs, broad beans and 'nduja oil. There are gluten-free bases and dairy-free mozzarella up for grabs, too.
With pizza must come pasta, and a standout is the tagliolini with blue swimmer crab, zucchini and chilli. Other Italian staples on offer include antipasti and cocktails. The latter includes a menu of signature spritzes, like the Garden (Hendricks, mint, rose and cucumber) and the Riviera Spritz (ruby red grapefruit aperitif, prosecco and soda). One of the cocktails better suited to later in the meal is the tiramisu martini — which is made with Frangelico and Sydney's own Mr Black coffee liqueur.
Salt Meats Cheese's NSW expansion doesn't stop in the Northern Beaches, either — a seventh instalment is coming to a rooftop bar in Circular Quay in the coming weeks. Keep an eye on this space for updates.
Salt Meats Cheese Dee Why is now open at 882A Pittwater Road, Dee Why. It is open 11am–3pm and 5pm–9.30pm, daily.