It’s been one of Sydney’s best Italian restaurants for years, but Ormeggio has taken a bit of a trip west of late – at least culinarily.

Executive chef and owner Alessandro Pavoni has handed over the reigns to Spanish head chef Victor Moya who is delivering a convergence of Italian and Spanish cuisines – and the results are simply stunning.

Surrounded by boats bobbing on the gentle ripples that kiss the D’Albora Marinas at the The Spit, it’s an elegant space without excess. Soft blue-grey bucket chairs, metallic gauze room dividers and blonde wooden tables provide the palette to support views by day and lights by night. Italian-Spanish might sound like fusion gone wrong, but on the plate it’s an absolute triumph: considered, precise, whimsical, artful and delivering big on memorable flavours.

First up, a whittled wooden ornament arrives with frozen parmigiano-reggiano crisps and creamed-manchego-filled chips wedged into it. Morsels of polenta tacos hold eggplant, red capsicum, creamy goats cheese (escalivada), and confit pencil leek is flame-licked over charcoal then battered, and begs to be dunked in romesco sauce.

Ocean trout roe, dill and baby cucumber sit atop cubes of ocean trout tossed in tomato mayonnaise ‘alla catalana’. Pavoni’s signature bottini (button pasta) is filled with 24-month aged parmigiano-reggiano liquid that will blow your mind. Ormeggio’s experiment of Italy via Spain delivers the best of both cuisines in a harmonious procession of dishes. It’s a trip you simply must take.

Must-eat dish: Bottoni filled with parmigiano-reggiano, roasted barley malt