Romolo Espresso E Cucina

Jessica Rayner
22nd Sep 2015
$8.00 - $24.00

‘I wanted something powerful and meaningful’ George told us over lunch. ‘Romolo was a great fit.’

Romolo Espresso E Cucina in the historical Strand Arcade, is one of three locations in the city, the second located on the equally central Castlereagh Street. The eatery blends into the beautiful architecture of the Strand seamlessly but from the number of full tables and staff popping in and out of the little store, it definitely warrants a second glance. 

From first thing in the morning to the end of the afternoon, Romolo is busy serving up coffee, patisserie and take-away food in addition to more substantial dishes for customers who want to pull up a seat and soak up the bustling atmosphere in the Arcade.

We visited at a particular busy lunchtime so we were surrounded by suits and shoppers as we enjoyed our food. The menu is pretty versatile so whether you’re after something small to accompany your coffee or a full blown lunch, you’re covered. 

The popular dishes are definitely the bruschette, paninis and pasta. The Paccheri, large tubes of pasta served with a rich pomodoro sauce, olives and ricotta was small but perfectly formed. The flavours were fantastic and the pasta, that’s homemade, was wonderfully different.

Another great dish was the Salmone bruschetta with asparagus and salmon. This was a much lighter meal and could have easily been shared between the two of us as a starter.

To wash down the food, there’s lots of great drinks choices from juices to locally brewed coffee from Gypsy Espresso. They’re already known for their Cannolo shake which served with the classic Italian pastry on the side but I went for one of their juices. The Sicilian juice is not only crazy vibrant in colour but the combination of orange and grapefruit is a bit of a winner.

If you fancied swinging by and checking Romolo out, I'd recommend a brunch or late lunch otherwise it'd be challenging to find a table.

www.romolo.com.au