Here’s some news that’ll help Sydney stretch out summer that little bit longer: the sweet little kiosk that the two-starred Pilu at Freshwater operates on the edge of its garden overlooking the beach is about to become a wine bar.
“There aren’t a lot of places where you can have a drink by the beach around here,” says owner and chef Giovanni Pilu. “It was just us and the pub, and Pilu has no bar, so now we’ll be able to give people an extra option before coming in for dinner, or if they’re looking for a casual drink after a day at the beach.”
The beachside Kiosk, which has in the past served simple sandwiches, coffee and café fare made in the restaurant, will reopen in March, kitted out with a small kitchen space and a dedicated chef to serve six or eight small bar snacks, along with glasses of wine from Pilu’s award-winning Italian list, imported and local beers and a few cocktails.
“We’re not doing anything too complicated,” says Pilu. “Maybe a small cuttlefish salad with potatoes and crisp bread, or fried zucchini, some crudo or tuna tartare. We’ll also do a pasta of the week and a small cheese selection with bread and pickles.” All dishes will be under $20, he says, to keep things simple.
Early birds down on the beach needn’t worry, the Kiosk will still serve breakfast and lunch, but when the Kiosk reopens everything will be prepared on-site, whether it’s panini made to order or salads for lunch. It’s the drinks, however, that Pilu is really excited about. “We’re going to do a mad Negroni, Ichnusa beer from Sardinia and dry white Italian wines, including plenty of vermentino,” he says. “It’s not fussy or fancy. It’s a beach bar. That’s it. We’re really excited about it.”
Pilu Kiosk reopens mid-March 2017, Moore Rd, Freshwater Beach, NSW, pilu.com.au
