O’Sarracino

Went to O’Sarracino last night (Wednesday) on a Grab-​One deal. I’ve eaten here once before and the food was exquisite, so I jumped at the Grab-​One deal. I have to say we were not disappointed and will definitely be going back.
The restaurant was full (and not just of Grab-One’ers) and it had a great vibrant buzz to it. There were plenty of wait-​staff to ensure we were well attended to and we enjoyed a superb leisurely meal.
Now to the food … It was a set menu which kicked off with a generous plate of delicious antipasto, followed by a beef ragout ravioli. Then came the main of sliced fillet with peppercorns, rocket and slivers of fresh Parmesan (delicious) … There was also the choice of a fish dish. And dessert was a panne cotta for me and tiramisu for my companion. All topped off with a very nice crisp Italian Pino Gris and finished with espresso and a delicious limoncello.
O’Sarracino lived up to my memory and we’ll definitely be back!

When O’Sarracino first opened we were curious to see what this new incarnation of the old funeral parlour would be like. The Oden Lounge was perfectly moodily suited to this space and an Italian restaurant didn’t immediately spring to mind as a natural evolution.
Turns out it took some time for us to get in the door to sample their wares; every time we thought we’d go it was closed. Twice for no reason at all (on a Saturday night?!) and once because the owners were on holiday Italy. Fair enough.
It was worth the wait and when we were finally received for dinner we were pleased to see the slightly gloomy character of the place was retained but somehow married with contemporary joyous italian frivolity and feasting. We had the extravagant and sensational Antipasto to start which was really a meal in itself and is just the kind of thing to make you feel like you are sitting in the warmth of the Italian sun while actually being in an ex-​mortuary. We followed up with delicious, perfect handmade pasta and thoroughly enjoyed the whole experience, from the service to the classy but casual vibe and of course, the food. Bello!

When I was a bit younger, the wonderful Odeon Lounge on the corner of Mt Eden Road shut down. I was gutted. I’d been there so many times and sat among their dinky chairs watching awesome live acts, and I was bummed when it shut down. When I saw that it had been replaced by yet another Italian restaurant, I was wild. Unfortunately this meant I didn’t get to go to Odeon’s replacement — O’Sarracino — until a few years later, when I ate my words (and some very good food).
Restaurant owner Gaetano Spinosa comes from a long line of restaurant owners in Napoli, and he brings this knowledge of amazing food to New Zealand with flair and gusto. He loves his food — this much is obvious in the way he tries to help his diners choose what they want to eat. Sometimes that works out really well — particularly when your’e being served up an enormous antipasto to start. There’s nothing like an array of cheeses and oily bread to really get you going.
This huge entrée made the main hard to finish, but it was luckily delicious enough for one to feel completely satiated with the amount they stuff in. The soup I had was incredible to look at and eat — it had half a crayfish in it! As I said, I wasn’t able to finish it but I was very grateful for what I did eat!