Southern Australian calamari salad, with squid ink, green peas, black tea and celery pollen
Enjoy the flavours of Sicily at this Italian restaurant found in an historic warehouse space on Chippendale’s Kensington Street.
Back in early 2017, the Sicilian-born, internationally-acclaimed chef Lino Sauro decided to bring his childhood cuisine to Sydney. Olio Kensington Street was born. Lino, the people of Sydney thank you.
Homemade pastas, produce that’s fresher than a winter dip at Icebergs and plenty of seafood. The menu at this Sicilian restaurant is sure reminiscent of the pretty Italian island, but the location is pure Sydney. Olio can be tracked down within the cute eat street that is Kensington Street, on level two of the beautifully-restored Old Rum Store, which is one of the oldest warehouses in the area.
I’ve been wanting to try this Sicilian love child for 800-odd days now. Turning 31 seemed like a great excuse. And whether it’s a non-significant birthday, or you just feel like being a little fancy, want a decent feed of Sicilian food or need an excuse to visit Kensington Street, Olio ticks all the boxes.
Image credit: Olio Kensington Street
Take a trip to Sicily
Olio is Italian for ‘olive oil’, and indeed the olive oil here is something special, coming straight from Lino’s Sicilian family farm. Go on give that sourdough a good dunk.
The menu stars ingredients typical of Sicily, such as seasonal seafood, wild fennel, raisins, saffron and couscous; and aims to prove that Italian food is more than pizza and heavy, creamy sauces. It succeeds.
Choose between pastas, starters and meat and fish dishes, or there’s two degustation options: four courses for $68pp and six courses for $88pp. For me, there were several highlights. The arancini (authentic), the rav (like little pillows) and the sourdough/olive oil combo (just wow).
Mini bruschetta appetiser
Sourdough bread, with herbed Olio spread
Deep-fried saffron arancini, with primo sale cheese and tomato sauce
Homemade ravioli, with scarlet prawns, black truffle and burrata sauce
Oh Olio, you shouldn’t have!
Any business that honours your birthday is a bloody legend. And Olio is a bloody legend, sending out this little treat…
Cannolo Siciliano, crispy wafer filled with ricotta cream and candied sitrus, blood orange sauce and bronte pistachio gelato
But even when it’s not your birthday, this restaurant experience still comes with gifts. There’s the complimentary appetiser. In our case it was a little mini bruschetta. There’s a homemade kombucha shot as an interlude between main and dessert, and then the post-dinner carrot cake.
Olio Kensington Street: The final word
I truly love Kensington Street. I mean, what’s not to love about the character-filled laneway that has more restaurants than Carrie has shoes? And everytime I visit I vow to visit more often. Olio is definitely a top reason to return.
Olio Kensington Street | Level 2, 2–10 Kensington Street, Chippendale, New South Wales
olio.kensingtonstreet.com.au
