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Central Coast Restaurant Review: Bombini Avoca Beach
As we left Manhattan (Sydney) and we cruised the freeway with the roof down on the convertible, the three Style Guys of Sydney Chic arrived at the Hamptons (Central Coast). First stop, Avoca Beach at a lovely restaurant and bar called Bombini (@bombinigram).
Perched on the hillside in a tropical oasis setting is this fabulous venue, the labour of love for couple Cameron and Hayley Cansdell. Essentially as a restaurant it offers modern Italian cuisine with an emphasis on fresh produce selected locally and internationally, with a lot of items coming from their own garden, part of their 2.5 acre estate.
The greeting on arrival was so warm and friendly as we entered through the front gates and toward the homestead where the restaurant is situated. The wonderful thing about Bombini in terms of the "venue" is that the homestead houses the more a'la carte dining experience but there are also two further zones - the outdoor linai with daybeds perfect for relaxing with a cocktail, and then up to the top level for the covered outdoor chillout bar, with its very own separate wood fired pizza and tapas menu.
We began our Bombini experience here, with a nice refreshing cocktail and a lager after the trip! Sitting relaxing over drink it gave us the perfect opportunity to soak in the coastal vibes, the great beats playing and the wonderful lush greenery around us.
We were then escorted down to the restaurant itself and welcomed in to the homestead. The decor is beachy, tropical, very relaxed but oh so chic! We sat at a corner table with wall seating and plus cushions surrounding us - it was clear we were set for a relaxing and decadent lunch dining experience!
It's immediately clear that when you're at Bombini Hayley and her floor staff are well briefed and passionate about the menu that Cameron and his chefs are producing! Their knowledge of the dishes, the flavours, textures and origins of the food is outstanding. Of course we invited Hayley to make selections for us - no one knows better than the restaurateur the stand out items on their menu. We began with some house baked sourdough ciabatta with drizzled with olive oil robusta and lemon scented ricotta with fresh edible flowers and herbs from the garden. What a beautiful way to start this Mod Aus-Italian feast!
Next we were treated to a plate of beautiful 3 cheese zucchini flowers, cooked to perfection with just the right amount of crisp and crunch on the outside to complement the melted tontina, taleggio and parmesan within! Entrees continued with Hayley's own personal favourite - tender Grilled Western Australian octopus with potato, garlic mayonnaise, mustard cress & black olives. Again these guys really understand how to perfectly meld together different flavours and textures with the standout here being of course the char flavoured octopus but the mustard leaves were a dynamic addition.
Mains comprised of a pasta dish and a meat dish accompanied by fresh sautéed greens from the garden. The linguine was divine, with chilli pipes, tomato and eggplant. Whilst the meat dish of selection was my favourite Roast Berkshire pork loin with crackling, grilled cauliflower shoots, onion marmalata & wild hops. The delicious moist meat of the pork with the melted fat of the loin, but through by the sweetness of the onion jam and complemented by the most wonderful piece of crunchy, sticky crackling one could ever hope for !!
And my son, Danté, was just as impressed as we were, particularly after Hayley especially organised him his own spaghettini with basil pesto and parmesan. We can tell you it didn't last long.
For dessert we relocated back to the alfresco zone to savour the beautiful weather of the afternoon … Millefoglie with vanilla cream, peaches, nectarines & lemon verbena from the garden. Pear in ginger with Amedei chocolate mousse, hazelnut croccante & zabaglione.
Simply delicious! Whether it be for a Sunday afternoon lunch, an evening outdoor soiree or a romantic a'la carte dinner for two this place rocks and I look forward to the next time I make the trip to the central coast and Terrigal beach so that I can revisit Halyey and Cameron @bombinigram to try out the rest of the menu and one of those wood fired pizzas.
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