On the site of the old Gandhi’s Gourmet Indian restaurant (how I miss it) is the stylish, vibrant Osteria Riva. If you are missing a trip to Italy this is the next best thing.
The Restaurant
The staff and chef are young Italians bringing enthusiasm and authenticity to this snug ristorante in Bondi Junction. It is always full of Italian families. This is a very good sign.
The pasta is fresh and made on the premises. There is a very large selection of cured meats and a wide selection of prima, pasta and carne & pesca (meat and fish).
There are 2 sitting 6.30pm and 8.00pm. Both are usually booked out. You need to think ahead and reserve a table.
Cocktails
An excellent Negroni was my start to the meal. Mrs E had a Campari and soda. The Negroni was full of flavour. We ordered a bottle of sparkling water for the table.
Antipasti
You need to be reminded that the servings are generous so if there are only two of you there may be a need for restraint or a request to take the left overs home.’
The salumi and formaggio plate is a selection of Italian cheeses and Italian meats, including salami, mortadella and other dried meat. It is very morish.
We usually order the fritto misto tricolour (prawns, calamari and zucchini in a tempura style batter). It is a stand out and makes a great starter for 2-4 people. The batter is very light and crispy. Excellent if you are having a cold beer to start the meal.
There is also yellow fin tuna carpaccio and burrata with mortadella and pistachio. Our daughter had the steak tartare.
Pasta
With home-made pasta on the menu, it is hard to say no. The choices are inventive and very authentic.
You can order from home-made lasagne, gnocchi with David Blackmore waygu ragu, spaghetti carbonara, linguine with prawns and chilli, tagliatelle Bolognese with angus beef/ pork ragu & rigatoni with buffalo mozzarella, fresh tomato, and basil sauce.
Salumi & Formaggi
There is a truly wonderful selection of imported prosciutto, salami and Italian chees including. Prosciutto di parma, from Emilia Romagna, prosciutto san daniele from Fruili Venzia, Culattello di Parma (Italy’s best), mortadella di Bologna, Emilia Romagna burrata creamy cheese & Mortadella, caprese salad with burrata/ stracchino
Carne & Pesce
There is a lot of meet to chose from if you are a carnivore. The fish selection is relatively modest, being a grilled tuna selection.
From the griglia selection there is much to choose from 250gr cross bred angus/wagyu sirloin ($42), 400gr full blood chocolate wagyu sirloin MS 9+ W/ $130, Wagyo deboned rib eye MS 9+ $150;wagyu sirloin MS 12 W/SIDES $90/170 Myiazaki (JAPAN) 750gr wagyu tomahawk MS 9+ W/SIDES $180. 2 kg “ GODZILLA” wagyu tomahawk MS 9+ W/SIDES (24h notice)
The prices are not cheap. Quality is the prime ingredient at Osteria Riva. If you have a table of four you can order a large steak and have it prepared to share. This is an excellent way to enjoy one of these magnificent steaks.
Dessert
Creme Brûlée, Homemade Tiramisu with Italian Mascarpone, mini bombolini – Ialian Mini Doughnuts with chocolate filling, affogato al Caffe and affogato with Frangelico, homemade gelato and homemade pannacotta.
The affogato with Frangelico was a favourite, but I opted for the pannacotta with a scoop of chocolate gelato – delicious.
Grappa
There is an extensive selection of quality grappa, both white and amber. I tried the 2009 Bric Del Gaian Berto – Moscato 43%. This was a fine aged grappa. Admittedly, you could run your car on it with the high alcohol content.
Wine
There is a very extensive selection of Italian imported wines. They are commensurately priced. Be aware. There are a number of good wines in the $50 – $60 range, but most of the quality wines are in the range $100 – $300 in price.
We had a 2004 Brunello’, Col d’Orcia Toscana $210 and a 2014 Barbaresco – Piemonte $180. Both were excellent wines.
I understand you can BYO earlier in the week. This might be a good idea.
The Review – 4 Stars
The emphasis at this restaurant is quality ingredients, home-made pasta, authentic imported salumi and prosciutto and innovative antipasta, past and primi.
The staff are wonderful and engaging. The sommelier really knows his wine. If you are interested in trying an expensivish Barolo or similar, ask him. He is very helpful.
This restaurant is very popular with Italian aficionados who are anxious to get a taste of real Italian cooking.
