Fourth Village

Overview

It's great to walk into somewhere that knows exactly what kind of place it is and doesn't pretend to be anything else. Welcome to Fourth Village, the boisterous and bustling Italian providore, delicatessen and restaurant nestled on the lower north shore.

The burrata, marinated octopus, fresh pasta, gelato bar and entirely Italian staff make you feel like you've stepped off the cobblestone streets of Milan into Italian manna heaven. The pearl necklaces and polo shirts of the Fourth Village customers however, remind you that you've stepped off Military road and into one of Mosman's most popular eateries.

Fourth Village is a family business, with Peter Quattroville, (whose last name literally translates to four villages) and sons distributing olives, preserves and produce from their family farm in NSW to the generously-laden shelves. They all roam the floor serving, greeting and directing the hoards who might be picking up some oxheart tomatoes, wood roasted olives or fresh loaves of ciabatta. This is a beautiful, bountiful providore with fresh fruit and veg, handmade antipasti, cured meats, a fully stocked cheese room and quality Italian pantry staples.

It's open for breakfast, lunch and dinner. After the cashiers close up for the day the shop's floor is partially cleared and tables are set in amongst the shelves. This transition not only imparts the ethos of this place, but exudes the family's passion for food, while also accommodating the overflowing main seating area.

The main attraction here is the wood fired pizzas which are some of the best on the north shore. Soft and floppy in the middle, crisp and slightly singed on the crust, sparsely topped with quality ingredients. They tick all the right boxes.

A Romeo e Guliana ($24) has Italian fontina and a few dots of gorgonzola, with sweet roasted capsicum balancing hot salami. Freshly made tagliatelle with shellfish, garlic and chilli ($28) is generous and beautiful in its simplicity of flavour. There's a decent mix of Italian beer and wine on offer, like everything here, it's not too expensive and family friendly.

Don't expect table linens or whispered voices here. Fourth Village, like going to any Italian home means you're dragged into a fun, loud place where good food is never far away.