Restaurant Review: Osteria Il Coccia, Nicola Coccia Is One Of Australia’s Best Italian Chefs

Posted on 04/12/2021

Nicola Coccia Is One Of Australia’s Best Italian Chefs, and he’s now cooking a breath taking six course degustation at Osteria Ol Coccia in Ettalong.

Smoked food was never something I gravitated to, but the fact chef Nicola Coccia has made me not only like his smoked butter but become obsessed with it is testament to how fabulous this chef really is. It has a charcoal, smokey, rich taste which is undeniably unique and tasty.

This is a man who is passionate about Italian food, about cooking and about making dishes people love.

I first discovered his exceptional dishes in Bowral when he and his strikingly beautiful wife Alexandra ran the chef hatted Bistro Officina which was located within the Berida Hotel. The fragrant smoked bark cooking wofting through the building suited the rustic feel of winters in Bowral.

But now that he’s relocated to Ettalong, a fresh, beachy town with a breeze, and he’s in a restaurant with attentive staff, sandstone floors, a timber bar and a welcoming feel and six course degustation, it feels like he is more grounded and the food is better than ever. He suits this town. People in Ettalong appreciate him.

And the smokey butter is again one of his signature features, and the first thing that arrives at the table with some fresh bread.

The Smokey Butter is a signature of Nicola Coccia’s Food.

In this new post-covid incarnation, he is serving a 6 course degustation at his intimate restaurant, during a 2 hour window, and this is the kind of meal you will be talking about for years.

The meal began with 2 small pizze fritte on sourdoughone with taramaslata and salmon roe and one with wagyu bresaola, pickles and crostolo. Stunning. The prosecco is imported by Nicola directly from Italy and took 3.5 months to reach Ettalong after being held up in Melbourne due to covid. It was well worth waiting for. Sparkling, dry and delicious.

Next Balmain Bugs arrived with smoked burrata, eggplant and tomato. Wow. The dish was bursting with fresh citrus and the smooth texture of the burrata. The three bugs in the dish were super fresh and perfectly cooked. The smoked flavour came from the eggplants which gave the whole dish some depth, which was then lifted byt he tomato. It was the perfect marriage of quality Australian seafood and Italian flavours to die for.

Wow. The dish was bursting with fresh citrus and the smooth texture of the burrata.

When I saw Vitello Tonatto on the menu I wondered how Nicola would wow with this traditional Italian dish and make it his own – but wow it he did. It arrived shrouded in a cloud of dry ice, with the veal sitting in a bone where the bone marrow would ordinarily be, with capers and coastal leaves on top. A glass of organic Funaro Verdelecia Chardonnay from Sicily went perfectly with it, and it was a dish I wanted to take my time with and really enjoy.

The Vitello Tonato was incredibly presented and tasted rich but clean and came to the table with smoke pouring out.

I was slightly anxious about the pasta, as I am not a big pasta person, but three Artisan ravioli turned up sitting on some mushrooms and green peas and the waiter poured in a Pancetta bone broth to go over it, so that the whole dish was again bursting with flavour. Excquisitely balanced. A biodinamic, organic Valpolcetta from Vorona has me convinced I need to drink a lot more Italian wines.

three Artisan ravioli turned up sitting on some mushrooms and green peas and the waiter poured in a Pancetta bone broth to go over it, — Three Artisan ravioli turned up sitting on some mushrooms and green peas and the waiter poured in a Pancetta bone broth to go over it,

The grass fed ranger valley sirloin sat elegantly beneath a local vine leaf which was crisped under the grill, topped with pretty edible pink flowers. The meat was cooked rare and again, absolute perfection. It sat on some fermented garlic with silverbeet and bone emulsion. Again it arrived “smoking” with the dry ice effect, a reminder of how passionate this chef is about smoking his food and creating drama and theatre around eating out. The Adaila Laute Valpolicella from Verona continued to thrill with this dish.

The sirloin was topped with a grilled vine leaf.

It was my dining companion’s birthday, so they surprised both of us with a gorgeous mini tiramisu which was again super flavoursome, rich and decadent. It was such a generous gesture that took us both pleasantly by surprise.

The dessert which arrived was again absolutely incredible. Pumpkin sorbetto sat in oat soup with buffalo yoghurt and balsamic. Roasted pumpkin seeds were a secret ingredient I spotted which added a nutty flavour.

A “white pearl” coconut flavoured white truffle was certainly the icing on the cake to finish

A white coconut truffle was the final mouthful after a spectacular meal.

Six matching course for $115, or with matching wines $180.

Renae

Renae is a luxury hotel consultant travels the world looking for the ultimate travel experiences for her audience of women over 35. She has more than 25 years experience as a degree qualified journalist writing for many magazines, newspapers and digital platforms. Renae spends her time professionally speaking, coaching CEO's and GM's and eating dark chocolate.