Coogee might be famous for its aquamarine waters and pub culture but for the most part, its dining scene has remained understated, save for a few longstanding stalwarts and Merivale’s tri-storied behemoth, The Pavilion.

So locals will be excited to hear that Regan Porteous (Riley St Garage, Tequila Mockingbird, Surly’s, Toko, Stanton & Co) is opening his first venture as a restaurateur in the seaside suburb on May 15 with his longtime partner Carolina Angelucci and head chef Stefano Gagliardi.

Inspired by the many trips he and Angelucci made to the country to visit Angelucci’s family, Porteous is hoping to pay homage to Italy by breaking away from the red sauce and checked tablecloth trattoria format.

“There is a perception that Italian food it is all one thing. That it’s heavy and it’s all pizza and pasta, but the reality is that there is no one ‘Italian’ food,” Angelucci tells Delicious.

Having worked in restaurants throughout Europe, Gagliardi’s menu is a celebration of Italian cuisine powered by Australian ingredients.

“Stefano and I have the same goal: we want to extend our Italian sense of family and connection to all who dine with us,” Angelucci said of her childhood friend Gagliardi, who she met in a coastal town in the Abruzzo region.

A punchy whipped bottarga crostini and black garlic-studded kingfish crudo flaunt Osteria Coogee’s fresher take on things, while a burrata with pesto Trapanese continues the milk cheese’s domination of entrée menus across town.

Pasta lovers haven’t been forgotten, with a slow-cooked lamb shoulder pappardelle proving a worthy winter warmer. Other Italian favourites on the menu include bistecca, a sirloin carpaccio and a mussel and calamari fregola.

A vanilla panna cotta and guarded family tiramisu recipe that sees crunchy amaretto biscuits layered between a light mascarpone cream plants the dessert menu firmly in classic Italian quarters. Osteria Coogee is also embracing the great Venetian pastime of Aperitivo by offering $12 aperitif-style drinks between 5pm and 7pm between Wednesday and Sunday.

Osteria Coogee
31 Alfreda St, Coogee, NSW
osteriacoogee.com