Chiosco by Ormeggio

There is something about sitting next to the sparkling harbour that means lunch will stretch on a little longer, and lead to that extra glass of wine. Chiosco (kiosk in Italian) by Ormeggio sits on the jetty of d’Albora Marinas at The Spit, and has windows spanning three sides of the dining room overlooking the waters of Pearl Bay. The venue is bordered by green hedges, which are used to divide up the casual eatery.

Executive chef and co-owner Alessandro Pavoni serves “Italian street food” at this casual offshoot of Ormeggio: the kind of food you can buy when you’re walking around Italy. There’s a hole-in-the-wall counter serving takeaway coffees, pastries, panini, casarecce (twisted) pasta, calamari and house-made gelato.

For those who dine in, expect dishes such as fish of the day (cooked on the grill and served whole) and slow-cooked lamb shoulder. The à la carte menu also includes bowls of fresh pasta, antipasti and large format proteins such as a one-kilogram fiorentina T-bone steak. You can also BYO.

If you’re lucky enough to own a boat, you can order ahead, park at a free mooring nearby through the restaurant and it will run out a decadent picnic for your day on the water. In Sydney, you can’t get closer to an afternoon on the Italian coast than that.