Bondi has always had a bit of a boho breezy sea vibe, but the Hall Street complex is stepping up the ante as the latest of the big names sweeps into the glass-fronted complex. Ordering indecisives will find it helpful to follow our guidelines; if the restaurant has a menu item in its name, you can be assured it’s not a bad bet to eat.
Icebergs restaurateur Maurice Terzini of Nield Avenue fame is adding another notch to his expanding restaurant belt with the opening of Da Orazio Pizza + Porchetta.
It’s all white painted wooden chairs and tables, polished concrete floors, sit up window benches with personal now you see me-now you don’t, fabric blinds. It’s a designer underground bunker showcasing a seriously wicked Napolese 2.7 tonne brick oven with industrial fans keeping the heat of the kitchen and the frenetic waiters under control.
Little piggies will love the porchetta, deboned layers of Berkshire’s beast; stuffing, meat, fat, skin, rolled, spitted, and roasted arriving in a little pot with a natty jug of juices. Even better is a mighty focaccia con porchetta – a sandwich of kings stuffed with cos lettuce and eggplant just to make you feel like it could be healthy.
Pizza is a mid-weight affair, chewy and charred with the right amount of puff and generous layer of fior di latte along with a range of toppings. Octopus is a delight as too are the split king prawns.
So grab a glass of Bellenda Prosecco or order a No.8 cocktail and watch the world’s feet go past. Who needs the sounds of the waves when this kind of food is music to your ears?
Da Orazio Pizza + Porchetta
Open Mon-Fri 5pm-midnight; Sat midday-midnight; Sun midday-10pm
3/75–79 Hall Street, Bondi
