Pino’s Vino E Cucina Al Mare

Pino’s Vino e Cucina al Mare is a second location for the beloved Inner West Italian restaurant by Matteo Margiotta.

The beachfront Cronulla restaurant is set in a vine-covered space with floor-to-ceiling windows, steep ceilings, olive trees and a palette of green and terracotta to evoke the landscape of Puglia, from where it takes its inspiration.

The menu by executive chef Cristiano Patacca and head chef Aprill Gullo continues the Pugliese theme with a focus on seafood. Standouts from the antipasti and snacking selection include grilled king prawns with Italian XO salumi, fried parmigiano balls with scamorza, yellowfin tuna on toast with lardo, and a stunning chilled seafood platter.

Pasta is made in house daily with an imported, Italian-made extruder and includes a contemporary take on pici cacio e pepe, maccheroni alla vodka with spanner crab, and strozzapretti with Wagyu ragu, while mains might offer whole grilled fish with capers and lemon butter sauce, a one-kilo Riverina Fiorentina steak, or a mixed platter of grilled seafood.

A couple of set menus start at $95pp and range up to $155 for the Italian Feast dining experience showcasing favourite dishes and premium ingredients.

Much loved Italian and Australian wines sit alongside South African producers to honour Matteo’s wife Nerina’s home country, and—beyond the requisite take on the Negroni and limoncello spritz—cocktails also take inspiration from the coastline.

Now check out more of the best Italian restaurants in Sydney.

Image credit: Pino's Vino e Cucina al Mare | Website