Surry Hills stalwart Milli Vini has long been one of Crown’s Street’s favourites. With a recent refurb and new owners, Mille Vini is a true pinnacle of modern Italian cuisine and hospitality.
With as much focus on the drinks menu, the cocktail and full beverage menu boast an impressive list of signature and classic cocktails.
A Mille Vini Margarita $27 for Vanessa and the impressive Smoked Don Amaro $29 for me. The cocktails don’t come cheap but the spectacle and the theatrics of the smoke-infused cocktail created tableside, certainly warrant the price tag.
Without a doubt must orders are the Battered Zucchini Flowers, truffle pecorino & blossom honey $10 each. A light crispy batter encasing that incredibly moreish truffle pecorino filling, one wasn’t enough!
Fish (Tuna) Crudo w/ horseradish cream, green olives & citronette $28 was a delightful alchemy of textures and punchy citrus and sour notes.
Some say diamonds are a girl’s best friend but ask a wog and they’ll tell you it’s usually in the form of burrata (well this Italian girl will certainly say so). 24 Months Prosciutto San Daniele, Melon & Burrata $28 highlights how simple ingredients can create pure magic.
Ricotta Tortelli $35 instantly brought us back to special occasions at Nonna & Nonno’s, with a hearty and well-developed beef & pork ragu that rivalled our grandparents. One thing to note, the rotating menu of pastas are particularly generous serving sizes.
We were both pleasantly surprised by the Maccheroncini ‘Alla Nerano” $33. A play on the zucchini-based dish from the fishing village Nerano, on the Amalfi Coast (a three-hour car ride from our Grandparent’s hometown, Ischia).
A palate cleanser of sorts, the Lemon Sorbet $9 was a fabulous interlude between the meal and dessert. Lemon Granita from Bar Italia has always been one of my fondest memories as a young child growing up in and around Leichhardt and this was an excellent rendition, super tart and incredibly easy to eat.
To finish, Limoncello & Raspberry Tiramisu $16. Nothing beats the OG BUT this comes awfully close, Ness happens to make a FIRE tiramisu and this was equally delicious, the tartness from the raspberries helped cut through the sweetness.
We left very impressed, with our last visit in 2015 this was an excellent reminder to keep Mille Vini in the rotation of great Sydney Italian restaurants!
Bianca
PS – Mille Vinni will be taking part in the City of Sydney’s ‘Sydney Streets Festival’ this Saturday 1st October. Serving Slow Roasted Porchetta Rolls!
