Margherita's Vinoteca

Margherita & Co and Margherita's Vinoteca are two adjoining venues recently opened by Universal Hotels in the CBD to feed Sydney's seemingly insatiable appetite for quality Italian food. Located in the Horden arcade inside the World Square complex by George Street, the busy location in the heart of worker town necessitates carving out turf in a competitive area - already featuring the likes of Arisun & Azoto's hipster-favorite liquid nitrogen ice cream with syringe-injected chocolate, and the meaty delights of Neil Perry's Burger Project.

Executive Chef Robert Taylor (formerly notoriously serving up whole pigs at Swine & Co) runs the kitchen in both venues, with Margherita & Co focusing on more casual dining and takeaway, and Margherita's Vinoteca aiming for a classier affair with a wine bar and finer dining. The interior design is certainly sharp and tasteful, but - like the food - remains accessible; more in the range of an upmarket chain than an exclusive high end spot with a defining presence.

We certainly have some treats tonight. Starting with beautifully prepared rock oysters with lemoncello dressing that managed a lightness and richness at the same time, we soon tucked into another highlight: char grilled cuttlefish with fennel salad, oregano and ink sauce - simple, sharp and delicious.

At the deeper end, arancini is something of a core battle ground for Italian restaurants, and a dish that I am powerless to fight the 'go on- just one more' spirit of an insatiable arancini appetite. The offering here aims big with mushroom, black truffle and sardella - an ancient Roman caviar made from sardines. Tasty and hearty, they nonetheless fell a little short of salivating expectations.

Instead, where Vinoteca shone brightest was with their Gnocchi, a gorgeous blend of pumpkin and ricotta, sage nut butter and amaretti. Everything harmonised wonderfully on the palate.

Pizza highlights included a white truffle, bechamel and pancetta offering along with a duck, porcini and rosemary delight. The dough was a little heavy but worked well with these delicious combinations. 

All in all a solid if not outstanding effort, but one that offers many delights as you explore the menu, and a worthy contributor to Sydney's Italian imprint in the heart of the CBD.