Table for 20

182 Campbell St, Surry Hills
Legs under the table at 8pm: $40 Wednesday & Thursday; $50 Friday; bookings available for Saturday.

Tagline: "There are 193 normal restaurants in Surry Hills. This is not one of them."

With such an wonderfully unique idea, I was drawn to the prospect of the experience more so - for a first - than I desired my curiosity regarding the food to be sated.

As inspired as was the concept, so too was the way the chef/host/pioneer Michael approached the evening. Having spoken to him twice before on the hellophone regarding times and the requirements of vegetarian friends that were to accompany us, he seemed a sweet and approachable guy - one who always seems to terribly pleased to see you and has that familiarity about him, the reasons for which can never quite be pinned down.
Not previously aware of his Mediterranean origins, though, I was not all surprised when I found out. His food was obviously influenced by the welcoming and bold meals the Italians are renowned for. Simple and full flavours with a brush or sprig of something to twitter about the senses and wonder what herb or vegetable or oil is acting as the special ingredient within.

As we made our way hesitantly into the discreet building armed with bottles red wine as requested, noting the rather nice modern décor (well, I know I was), we were greeted with two long set tables. Clearly this was a little more professional than I had previously anticipated, not just a house opened by some friendly! We were taken straight up the back to a bar area where an interesting selection of people mingled. Soft, ambient music played and before we knew it we had a glass of our wine in hand and were nibbling on 'Olive Tiepida', small warmed Italian-style olives in a chilli and garlic olive oil with chunks of delightfully hard and pungent parmigiano. As the place filled somewhat up we were instructed to take our seats and were duly introduced to the two musicians sitting in a corner. We were to be serenaded!...or something. What delights.
The actual courses were more than satisfactory. Entrée was 'pasta casareccio sapia alla trifila', basically home-made pasta with mushrooms in black truffle oil. A tasty dish which did more than satisfy an empty stomach. It must be noted that I am somewhat suspicious of restaurants who "stock" their diners with filling foods like pasta at the beginning, as it often denotes a decline in quality for the rest of the meal, however this thought was put out of mind once I received the following. The main, 'filetti di monkfish' was gorgeous. Brought out on a huge platter and on 'un cetto' of delicious rice, it was positively melt-in-the-mouth so. The "curves of potato" or 'contorni di patate' were stunning. Easily a stand-out, these were roasted to near-perfection. And by perfect I mean my mother's - they are (usually) untouchable. Other sides included the wonderfully succulent 'zucchine al aceto' (zucchini cooked in wine vinegar) and the crisp delights of 'une insalatina di spinacci, pepe e noce'. That's right: a salad of baby spinach leaves, pear, and crushed walnut dressing - always a fresh combination to accompany most meals...or so I find. After having our adequate fill of savoury edibles we were given a rest and a chance to sit back and enjoy the atmosphere. And then came the 'torta alla crema di cioccolata e noce braziliane', which was of the yum! 'E scropino'! ...I almost forgot the scropino! This is a lovely way to finish off a meal - the Italians love it - and basically consists of lemon vodka and a lemon liqueur, which is one of the most refreshing customs I do so enjoy! Vive la italia!

All in all I found it to be a great experience. The food was gratifying and I really must applaud the excellent job done in churning out both a fresh and hearty meal on such a large scale. Catered food is usually the absolute pits, but it was the combination of the dishes Michael had chosen to serve (and thus, in a way, the cuisine) and the obvious attention to ensuring everybody's satisfaction. The provisions for the vegetarians in our party also must be noted. For the entrée they were served with a beautiful tower of bocconcini and tomatoes drizzled in olive oil and balsamic vinegar - I secretly coveted this. Their main consisted of a larger portion of the pasta we had for our entrée - it appeared that all were happy!

Oh also, the lights seemed to be made out of scrunched trees. How unique!