Bottarga
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Located in Brighton, Bottarga is Inspired by the culinary traditions of Europe. An espresso bar by day, and a fine dining eatery by night, the restaurant boasts an inviting and dynamic dining room which looks upon the open kitchen, where guests see all the action.
Under co-owner Chef Frederico’s guidance, the kitchen is in safe hands. Federico’s impressive resume includes working with international and awarded chefs including Shannon Bennet and Neil Perry and stints at with award-winning Melbourne establishments including Vue de Monde, Rosetta, Matteo’s, Crown Casino and Scopri.
Together with partner Somi (who has a talent and passion for all things coffee), the pair founded Bottarga where Federico exercises complete creative control – The result is a menu that focuses on the beauty of simplicity through quality, whilst invoking nostalgia.
We opted to leave our dining experience in the capable hands of Frederico. This was a decision we did not regret. All dishes were elegant, wonderfully presented and packed full of flavour. Frederico has seriously upped the ante on the area’s Italian offering - the dishes were finessed, cohesive, imaginative (yet rustic) and boasted wonderful flavours.
To start we fell in love with the hand-crafted burratina This cheese sensation demonstrated that unforgettable dishes can sometimes be very simple. In this instance, a ball of unadulterated burratina simply paired with confit heirloom romatoes, pickled capsicum and sweet lemon vincotto. When the outer solid mozzarella shell was cut, we loved how the creamy interior of soft, stringy curd and fresh cream revealed itself. The sumptuously rich yet sensibly balanced flavours were sensational.
To follow the cappellacci filled with crescenza was exceptional. The filling of deliciously savoury crescenza encased in al dente pasta accompanied by an umami-laden tomato based sauce was a perfectly executed, expertly balanced and an intelligent dish.
Next, we were presented with a beautifully fresh, vividly white piece of ‘Glacier 51’ Patagonian toothfish served with kombu and bonito sauce, miso glaze and pickled vegetables tagliatelle which had been cooked to perfection. We were blown away by the silky texture and the golden-brown charred bits of caramelised miso on the fish. It was a stunning dish.
The savoury courses came to an epic conclusion with the Wagyu MBS 7+ eye fillet served with Bottarga’s signature butter, cauliflower and mushroom puree and onion cups. This dish was sensational. The wagyu was cooked to a wonderful, moreish perfection with the creamy signature butter elevating the rich, unctuous meat to wondrous levels.
A wonderful array of desserts concluded our evening - think Campari and white chocolate cannolo, traditional Sicilian ricotta cannoli, pannacotta as well as a cheeky take on Tiramisu made from Italian biscuits that Frederico enjoyed as a child growing up in Italy (instead of the usual savoiardi biscuits).
Offering exquisite Italian fine dining Bottarga is capable of starting a legacy in the upper echelon of Melbourne’s culinary institutions. Certainly, a restaurant worth visiting, and revisiting, for the quality of its food and warmth of its service.
Location: Shop 3/124 Martin St, Brighton
Phone: (03) 9530 6515
