A’Mare is impressive. Set at the base of Crown Sydney (an extraordinary structure that looks like an elongated Fabergé egg), the 200-seat dining room and terrace looks out over water so pretty that, if you squint, you might be fooled into thinking you’re in Italy.

But more striking than the view is the scent of fresh basil as you enter the dining room.

“We do the trofie al pesto (pesto pasta), from beginning to end, tableside,” chef Alessandro Pavoni (Ormeggio, Chiosco by Ormeggio) tells Broadsheet.

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With a 30-kilogram mortar made from Carrara marble (the same marble Michelangelo used to carve David) and a pestle made from the hardy trunk of an olive tree, Pavoni brings the theatre of the kitchen to the table.

He pounds pine nuts and macadamia to a paste, and adds sweet Genovese basil, sea salt, pecorino ligure and Parmigiano Reggiano. The pesto is finished with extra-virgin olive oil that he pours “like a fountain”, then tossed with fresh semolina pasta that’s brought from the kitchen at precisely the right moment.

“This is what I used to have when I was a teenager eating with my parents at restaurants in Milan and Turin, and I wanted to bring it here: authentic, simple cuisine, served with theatre and skill,” Pavoni says. “Food for me is the easiest part in the restaurant – I mean, obviously it’s challenging, but it’s easier [for me] than the service.”

The burrata and green tomato caprese is also prepared tableside, with the server piercing the wobbly orb to spill its cream. Coral trout is filleted at the table, and even gelato is served from a trolley that makes its way around the room.

“The fior di latte, that is your canvas,” says Pavoni. “Then we have a selection of flavours like pistachio or bitter cherries with syrup. You can mix as you wish. My favourite is bitter cherries and cocoa nibs.”

Equal care has gone into the wine list, a 15-page menu with drops that stretch from Australia to Italy, plus spirits and a selection of premium cocktails.

Pavoni, who reopened Ormeggio after lockdown with a more casual approach to fine dining, wants to balance theatre and superb food with a relaxed experience.

“We’re in Australia. I wanted to take away the stiffness from the European, Michelin-star service, but also have the theatre of a beautiful meal.”

A’Mare does that well. Although the controversial Crown building makes for a grand setting, the venue is still a comfortable place to eat homely, fresh Italian fare.

“Having a venue in Crown is amazing for a chef. This has been a dream of mine for many, many years and when I got the opportunity, I couldn’t say no.”

A’Mare
Level 1, 1 Barangaroo Avenue, Sydney
(02) 8871 7171

Hours:
Mon to Sun 12pm–2.30pm, 6pm–9.30pm

crownsydney.com.au