Lucio's Italian Restaurant

Lucio's Italian Restaurant Restaurant Review:

In a city where restaurant tenures may be transient, Lucio’s has been a Sydney mainstay for 30-plus years. Whether it's the swift yet smooth professionalism of the staff or the rustic surroundings --- an ochre and terra cotta backdrop entirely appropriate for the predominantly northern Italian cuisine --- it hardly matters. Ligurian-born owner Lucio Galletto's enduring passions, art and cuisine are evident here, where walls are covered with his favorite fine-art pieces. Chef Nicole Bampton turns out the sort of food that has made this place so distinctive. On the à la carte and tasting menus, expect dishes such as lightly smoked duck breast cured with juniper berries and served with a peach and greens salad; silky tagliolini alla granseola, fine green noodles with blue swimmer crab; or a Gippsland veal T-bone served with radish and porcini butter. A special treat for two to eight diners is the whole snapper baked in rock salt (order 24 hours ahead). Try the desserts, pasticceria and formaggio, too; one bite of the cannoli will tell you it was the right decision. The extensive wine list has a good selection of well-bred Australian and Italian wines (many by the glass).