Renato’s Coogee Beach – Quality Comfort Food on a Cool Night

If anyone is culturing multiculturalism in Sydney, it is Renato’s Italian Trattoria in Coogee Bay Road, Coogee.

We ate there (again) tonight and once again it was a very good experience.  The group at the table beside us consisted of a group of aussie accented ethnic Chinese, Indian and possibly Thai, but maybe they are all ethnically Singaporean, because the owner is.  Uh huh, a Singaporean born guy running an Italian restaurant in Sydney.  The table on the other side had Greek and middle eastern guys enjoying the food too.

Great place; great food,  great staff, mostly Italian and a lassie from Manchester and also a Chinese guy in the kitchen.  I did say multicultural didn’t I?

The place was full to the gunnels but still the service was quick, and with a smile and pleasant comment.  The staff have a unity of purpose, and they all appear to be there to get the job done – no wandering around looking as if they had been dropped on the wrong planet.

The ambience was loud, fast and basic, everything you needed; and the food was good, good, good (as in property – location, location location)!

They have a small wine list, but there is a reasonably comprehensive bottle shop right next door and I am sure you can find something there to add to the good food (and it is BYO).
The oysters were plump and smooth.  The veal scaloppine was tender, as was the rare- medium veal wrapped in prosciutto, and it was all served hot with freshly cooked vegetables.  In fact the whole experience was just right – an Italian Trattoria you can depend on.

It is Italian – so they do pizza and pasta too – and many diners were enjoying those.

prosciutto wrapped veal

scaloppine boscaola

 

Will go again when we have the chance, and as one satisfied departing customer was heard to say “well…. they won’t go out of business.”   Try it when you can.

Renato's at Coogee Sydney - Good Italian Eatery

Recently spent a few days in the pleasant beachside suburb of Coogee.  Weather generally warm, afterall it was November, and quite relaxing.  Have had a few stays around Coogee this year, so the place is familiar........but had not eaten out locally.

Decided it was an opportunity to meet the locals.  Some confusing signals - ate at a decent italian eatery - in Sydney, with Italian staff, but run by a Singoporean.  But it was good!

 In Coogee Bay Road, Coogee, a few steps up from the beachfront. 

Italian food that is excellent quality and value.  Busy to very busy on the few times visited, and especially Saturday evening.  Has the standard Italian mains – pizzas, pasta dishes with a wide range of sauces, lasagne, cannelloni as well as all the usual favourite scaloppine choices, and an excellent prosciutto wrapped veal fillet as mains and a modest choice of seafood.  Salt and pepper squid [really good] and fried zucchini flowers among the entrees – both recommended.

Does a decent garden /Italian salad and the olive oil is good too.  BYO and a bottle shop close by, if you forgot. 

Good atmosphere. Not Italian fine dining, but a good choice – more upmarket trattoria, and family groups of Italians were eating there, as well as a number of obvious locals back for a repeat visit  - that would seem to be a good recommendation in itself.

Can be a bit noisy if full and closed up [hence the trattoria tag], but also has al fresco dining, weather permitting.