367 King St
Newtown, Sydney
You'd be forgiven for walking past this place on numerous occasions if you frequent Newtown. From the street, Soffritto perhaps looks like the dull "nice" place amongst the exciting multicultural delights that this bustling suburb has to offer - the shiny gem amongst the worn out, tried and true open kitchen Thai restaurants that line the graffitied, grungy streets. Fortunately for us, on a hot summer night after battling the traffic heading to the Bon Jovi concert, "nice" is exactly what we need to escape and relax over good food and good conversation.
The menu is small and considered - five entrees, four mains and three desserts, and the available selection makes the $49 Three Course offer an easy choice We make a vague effort to order different dishes so that we could sample as much of the menu as possible - and we are more than glad that we did. We crack open a bottle of smooth red, and settle in for the evening.
With duck very quickly catching up to lamb as my favourite meat, I opt for the duck, balsamic and sage filled tortellini and it's not long before I become reluctant to share the dish around - very light for a pasta dish with wonderful flavours that made me wish it was a main. The truffled potato gnocchi with parmesan is velvety smooth and left the table in awe - heartiness at it's best through the perfection of a simple idea.
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| Duck Tortellini |
The mains are just as equally delightful - the homely pumpkin, gorganzola and pine nut risotto true to a classic combination, the wild barramundi melts in our mouths and the pancetta wrapped beef draws pleasantries from all.
As the night progresses people do in fact poke their head in to see if there is a table but all are politely turned away. Most are older couples that I suspect chose Newtown as a place to eat without thinking too far ahead, but have decided that date night should be more than just Pad Thai and gelato. And the hoardes of Newtown hipsters that swagger by without a glance provide entertaining people watching opportunities (it is their swagger that makes them hip, right?).
By the time dessert comes, we are all wishing we opted for the salad entree, but somehow manage to find valuable stomach space to feed the sweet spot. The warm chocolate pudding with strawberries, poached pear and caramel crepe are all rich and sweet, and leave endorphins racing through our bodies. A happy end to a satisfying meal. The hardest thing is lifting ourselves off our seats to embark on an evening of adventures that we fear will taint what has been a perfect evening.
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| Warm Chocolate Pudding |
The food is good, the staff are friendly, and the night is not rushed. Put it on your list!
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