As a kid, being locked in a department store for the night was a highly conceivable fantasy. The idea was that you would jump on all the beds in the furniture department and raid the lolly section.

Fast forward 20 years and Formaggi Ocello is the place you want to ‘accidentally’ get locked in. Rows upon rows of cheese from around the world, Italian sweets, olives and a fully stocked cellar. 

As you’re unlikely to get past the alarm system, the next best thing for turophiles (those obsessed with cheese) is the Ocello August cheese and wine tasting night. The eponymous Carmelo Ocello will lead you on a guided meditation of everything from grana pardano to chèvre, and Sommelier Elio Cordaro will add a little extra mischief to the occasion by partnering each cheese with its perfect wine match. 

You can play hide and seek in the maturation room while you’re there but if you really can’t bear the thought of leaving all that glorious cheese behind, Ocello offer a generous 20% discount on any purchases made on the night. 

Formaggi Ocello
Shop 16, 425 Bourke Street, Surry Hills 2010
T: (02) 9357 7878
August Tasting Night, 7.45pm, Monday 31 August 2009
$80 per person, bookings invited