Sella Vinoteca is a Sardinian restaurant in Randwick's Newmarket precinct with a wine store attached to it. The menu is full of Sardinian specialties like Sardinian pork sausage, artichokes and Malloreddus pasta (as well as some Italian classics). There is also a 2 course special or "feed me" meals on offer. Diners can choose wines from the store and drink them at wine store prices depending on the night.
Up until very recently, Sella Vinoteca was a Mediterranean restaurant but Sardinian owners Fabio Dore and his head chef Stefan Gaspa realised that making it Sardinian cuisine was a natural progression for them. The name Sella is Italian for stables, in tribute to the horse stables nearby. Fabio previously owned Popolo in Rushcutters Bay and the two worked together there.
We start with a glass of Prosecco and a non alcoholic spritz with Crodino which is a good dupe of the alcoholic Aperol spritz. The wine list, as expected with vinoteca in the name, is extensive with over 350 wines. On Tuesdays diners can wander into the bottle shop connected to the restaurant and choose a wine and they will pay the bottle shop price. And on Tuesdays to Thursdays they are offering an entrée and main for $50 with the first glass of wine for $10. The wines are all hand picked by Fabio and focus on small, boutique producers with 90% Italian wines with some French, Spanish, Argentinean and Australian wines especially of Italian varietals grown here.
As we are the first diners, it's quiet when we come in on a Saturday lunch but from 1pm regulars wander in, some taking seats at their favourite table and all greeted with familiarity by Fabio. Full disclosure, I first met Fabio and his wife Ann at a wine lunch last year and I had planned to visit shortly after. I tried to book but they were closed for a private event so it never got to visit until now.
The food comes out in a timely manner, even when the restaurant gets busier. The crunchy croquette with soft potato filling is showered in pecorino with a broad bean puree. Make sure to eat this as soon as it hits the table so that it is hot and super crunchy.
These fried artichokes take me back to Rome but Fabio mentions that artichokes are not just a Roman dish, but a Sardinian one too. These are fried so that the leaves are crispy and they're served with finely grated bottarga and a saffron and potato aioli on the base. You can pick it up with your hands and nibble on the crispy leaves and then move onto the tender throat of the stem dabbing it into the saffron aioli. Divine.
Any time that I see scarmoza cheese on the menu, I am drawn to that dish and this one is a beauty. It's a Sardinian pork sausage made for them in Byron Bay at a Sardinian owned business using Bangalow pork. It is served with meltingly glorious scarmoza (like oozy, melted mozzarella) and a "green sauce" made with broccoli rabe. This whole dish is served in a piping hot cast iron pan and is utterly moreish. You may want to order some bread to get every last bit of that mozz and creamy sauce too.
I don't usually order octopus ever since watching My Octopus Teacher but they brought this dish out. It's three tender tentacles of fried octopus, their version of a calamari fritti with Agliata sauce and purple potato crisps. Agliata sauce is from Alghero, a city in North West Sardinia which Fabio tells us is a very much Catalan town - in 1372 Catalan invaders resettled the city of Alghero after exiling the indigenous populations in Sardinia. The sauce is made with garlic, tomato, sun dried tomatoes and vinegar. All this needs is a bit of salt added to it so that it pops.
The malloreddus is another favourite course along with the artichokes and sausage. These tiny little Sardinian gnochetti are house made with saffron and paired with a delectable pork mince ragu and pecorino. The texture of these gnochetti is chef kiss perfection, every little bite giving just the right al dente resistance. The fact that the English language doesn't have a word that succinctly describe the pleasure of biting into something like this is a failing. I mean can we hijack the word toothsome because it seems perfect for the task? Although I'm full I go back for seconds of this (I do add some salt and black pepper though). Mr NQN has this with a glass of Dolianova Anzenas Cannonau di Sardegna 2020 from Sardinia.
There are three desserts and we go with the crema catalana which is like a crème brulee but with orange instead of vanilla. We crack the burnt toffee shell and dig in and enjoy the orange zested custard underneath.
So tell me Dear Reader, have you ever been to Sardinia? And do you take advantage of special deals and offers when you eat out?
Sella Vinoteca
Shop 6/162-164 Barker St, Randwick NSW 2031
Tuesday - Thursday 5pm-late
Friday - Sunday 12noon - late (snacks & small plates available 3-5pm)
https://sellavinoteca.com/
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