It’s always been a great casual Italian eatery and wine bar, but The Strand Arcade’s La Rosa has undergone a Roman renovation befitting a new empire. That’s right, after six years as a casual pizza, pasta and wine bar, restaurateur Nino Zoccali (The Restaurant Pendolino) acquired the talents of chefs Pablo Tordesillas Garcia (Ortiga Brisbane) and Joseph Giuffre (The Restaurant Pendolino) and took a trip to Rome and the greater Lazio region. Inspired by the fare, they returned and installed a volcanic rock Roman grill and rotisserie on which they cook and celebrate Australia’s hero proteins from land and sea.

Sit in the dimly lit dining room at double-white tableclothed tables and embrace some old school, often-forgotten silver service that somehow still delivers a smart wine bar sensibility too. Professional, without the pomp. La Rosa now delivers a full hat tilt to the techniques and ingredients of Italy’s capital, but considers the context of the Australian culinary landscape as well.

The crisp crackling and pinkish flesh of volcanic rock spit-roasted Golden Plains porchetta is served with baby cos and jus. The Roman-style pizzas are light, malleable and slightly charred on the bottom. The classic margherita has a deep, rich tomato sauce and a few sweet basil leaves piled in the centre. Meanwhile butterflied and grilled Spencer Gulf king prawns get an earthly pulse of pureed walnut. Elegant ravioli pillows filled with ricotta and pecorino are garnished with black pepper. Sage, cavolo nero, pine nuts and lemon burnt butter provide the ideal base for rich fillets of Eyre Peninsula leatherjacket that’s wrapped in lardo and roasted.

By looking into the past, La Rosa Roman Grill looks set for quite a fantastic future.

Must-eat dish: Volcanic rock spit-roasted Golden Plains porchetta
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