By Maire-Antoinette Issa.
If a sojourn to Sorrento has been softly - yet insistently - calling your name, but your annual leave isn’t quite co-operating, there’s good news.
Ovolo Woolloomooloo has just served up a delicious detour to the Amalfi Coast and made it so accessible that there’s almost no way your manager could disapprove!
Granted that Sydney has certainly never been short of places that deliver a taste of la Dolce Vita, unlike your local pizzeria, this experience isn't just about prosciutto and pasta - but the Prosecco can stay!
Instead, Dolce & Mare delivers a dreamy new High Tea that showcases the skills of the Italians, beyond their classic carbs.
Set inside the stunning heritage-listed Finger Wharf, Ovolo Woolloomooloo’s afternoon affair is steeped in both flavour and history. Dolce & Mare - meaning ‘sweet and sea’ - pays homage to the Italian immigrants who made this harbourside haven their home after World War II.
Many of them went on to work in Sydney’s fishing industry and the legacy of their contribution is baked into every detail of this decadent experience.
Here, you’ll swap cucumber sandwiches for something far more sultry: think housemade brioche mini-lobster rolls crowned with Avruga caviar and chives and Sicilian swordfish croquettes with a cheeky splash of Aperol emulsion. It’s seafood with swagger and it sets the tone for an afternoon that’s equal parts sophisticated and sun-drenched.
Need something to cool you down while you drift off into a Mediterranean daydream? Try the rockmelon gazpacho with Parma ham and grissini - refreshing, a little salty and a whole lot chic. Then there’s the slider caprese, bursting with semi-dried tomatoes, mozzarella and basil pesto.
Of course, no High Tea worth its weight in Limoncello would be complete without dessert. The sweet course at Dolce & Mare is pure la dolce vita: there’s a fluffy Limoncello ricotta cake that somehow manages to feel both nostalgic and luxurious, a snowball tiramisu that puts your Nonna’s version to the test and a mixed berries zabaglione - a traditional Italian dessert often enjoyed during times of hardship. Here, though, it’s served with a celebratory twist and a side of Sydney sunshine.
The drinks are equally decadent. For $89, you can sip on specialty teas from local favourite Black Brews; or, if you fancy something more festive, go for the $99 option and enjoy a sparkling glass of Italian Prosecco. If you’re feeling especially extra, the $119 Veuve Clicquot pairing brings a pop of French flair to your Italian escape. Who says you can’t cross borders?
There’s also a bespoke range of cocktails if you want to level up your long lunch - because a peachy Spritz at a harbourside bar really is the vibe.
Dolce & Mare runs for two blissful hours and is served Thursday to Saturday at 12 pm, 2 pm and 4 pm at Bar Woolloomooloo - Ovolo’s signature waterfront bar. So, book in. Lean back and let the sweets and the sea take you away.
