REVIEW
Like Mario Testino working with Kate Moss, a certain magic happens when Stefano Manfredi meets flour and water. Hand-rolled pasta, be it trad ravioli (bouncy with burrata and basil) or experimental maccheroncini (earthy from kamut flour and salty with ricotta salata), is consistently excellent, and comforting (eyes on you, veal ragù). Yamba prawns, smoky from the wood-fired grill, are sea-sweet, but undone by a ho-hum tomato, olive and oregano garnish. This kind of bottom-up cooking, with its tight focus on produce, relies on deft execution. It’s evident in the pan-roasted duck breast, crisp of skin, with nothing more than nectarine purée and bitter amaranth leaves; it’s there in the rocket and Parmigiano salad; and in the fluffy pandoro with white chocolate mousse. The Futurist wall art is as conceptual as it gets at Balla. Swift service, a customer-first attitude, an extensive wine list, and water glimpses round out Manfredi’s magic act.
Phone:
(02) 9657 9129
Website:
Bookings:
Bookings recommended
Features:
Licensed
Bar
Vegetarian-friendly
Wheelchair Access
Private room
Impressive Wine List
Accepted card types:
American Express
Eftpos
MasterCard
Visa
Chef(s):
Stefano Manfredi & Gabriele Taddeucci
This review was made independently for the Gourmet Traveller Restaurant Guide. The guide’s reviewers visit unannounced and pay their way.
Gourmet Traveller Restaurant Guide
Wine: ★ ★
Gourmet Traveller’s star-ratings, which range from zero to three stars, reflect reviewers’ first-hand experiences. The best-rated restaurants form our national Top 100. Our wine ratings, from zero to three stars, are made by wine editor Max Allen on the strength of the quality of the restaurant’s wine list. View our rating key here.
