Mille Vini is an excellent food and wine bar in Surry Hills, complete with l excellent service and a vibrant ambience. Set in an historical building with the original features of the building retained and highlighted to create an elegant sophisticated dining space.
The walls are textured sandstone and the frame of the roof is visible, you can see the history of the building. The dining space features a dominating suave bar and open kitchen with stools at the bar to dine, as well as a number of tables along the parallel wall. You can also grab a seat at the front window and enjoy a drink whist taking in the Surry Hills vibes. There is also a private dining space upstairs for larger groups.
We started with a cocktail and a favourite go to is an old fashioned and this one was a levelled up old fashioned, a mighty fine one which is not that easy to find. Their version uses Woodford Reserve Rye, which is mixed perfectly with brown sugar, bitters, cherry served with a large ice cube and an orange peel, we really enjoy sipping on this cocktail. We also sampled the “ginger my limoncello” made with limoncello, ginger, elderflower, lemon, egg whites and yuzu bitters. This was another well made cocktail with a good mix of sweet and tartness complementing each other.
All of the food was sublime, perfect for sharing or to order for yourself. The Crostini stracciatella can be ordered by the piece (eggplant, prosciutto or anchovy). It is a crisp piece of bread topped with the creamy cheese and choice of the above toppings. It is a great starter with tasty mixture of ingredients and textures. The Zucchini flower was another starter for the senses with its crisp batter and melted truffle peccorino, all combining nicely with the honey blossom bringing all of the flavours together.
From the entrees we selected the the fish tartare and the beef carpaccio, both very enjoyable. The fish tartare was a pretty dish with an array of colours from the cucumber, finger lime and salmon roe, a nice fresh dish.
The carpaccio was also fresh and light, the beef so delicate it melted in your mouth, classically paired with horse radish, the parmigiano reggiano adding some extra bite and the funghetti pickled mushrooms were a nice point of difference and provided contrast.
The mains could not be faulted and were enjoyed with two nice reds, that were contrasting, but equally enjoyable. We loved that staff asked for our preferences and then picked what they thought would suit our palette and they were spot on.
The Montepulciano D Abruzzo was a bold fruit driven red with rich berry flavours and a silky mouth feel. We also enjoyed a glass of Chianti, which was a light dry tannic wine with subtle strawberry flavours. We recommend chatting about your wine preferences as you get the opportunity to try something new this way.
The mains we consumed were two fresh pasta dishes, as well as the Al Vino, a braised meat, on this occasion a generous portion of oyster blade, which was nice and tender and nicely sauced and topped with a kohlrabi gremolata, a hearty dish that was very enjoyable and appreciated on the cold night we visited.
The pasta dishes were both served as a generous portion, both rustic and soul warming. The casarecce, a short twisted pasta scattered with tiger prawn pieces and nduja was delicious, the spicy spreadable pork sausage providing a good kick of flavour. The other pasta dish was a fresh made Ravioli, which we love. There is something about this type of pasta, perhaps it’s the anticipation of tasting what’s inside the parcel. On this occasion, it was filled with a creamy taleggio cheese and wild mushrooms, again nicely sauced with a medley of wild mushrooms, sage and truffle oil, a great combination of flavours creating a well balanced dish.
The go to dessert when eating Italian is the Tiramisu, which translates to cheer me up or pick me up and this dessert certainly did just that. The white chocolate tiramisu with amaro, was surprisingly light, the cream was stunning and the toasted macadamia on top provided crunchy texture and a slight bitterness. Always a great way to finish a meal. You can also pair your wine with a digestif or dessert cocktail.
We thoroughly enjoyed our visit to Mille Vini, a perfect dining experience made all that much better with impeccable service The food arrived at a good pace with the waitstaff explaining details of the food and drink. We enjoyed the attentive service, with the tables being wiped and cleared often, as well as plates being replaced and the water glass constantly filled. Ando, who was heading up the team was also very charismatic, he had a fun, warm and welcoming personality and enhanced our dining experience. We dined A la carte, however they also have apertivo hour and a banquet menu available. We enjoyed all aspects of our visit, the decor, ambiance, food, drink and service and can wholeheartedly recommend Mille Vini.
Mille Vini
397 Crown St Surry Hills
Hours
Mon: 5pm – 10pm
Tue to Thu: 5pm – 11.30pm
Fri to Sat: 3pm – 11.30pm
Sun: Closed