When Brent Savage and Nick Hildebrandt open something new, people rock up. Simple as that. Never mind if it’s December, the pinnacle of party season. Or that we’re faced with an ongoing staff shortage. On opening night at King Clarence, the sixth addition to the restaurateurs’ esteemed stable, none of this seems to matter.
Fresh off a fully booked lunch service, the 100-seater is somehow still fizzing with energy at dinnertime. Rock lobsters, prised live from the tank, grilled and sauced in gochugaru and plum vinegar, are making their way onto every third table. Bottles of German riesling, grower Champagne and grenache from the Rhône are being uncorked left, right and centre. Some of the floor team may be more unseasoned than others, but they’re clearly committed and, for day one, hiccups are few and far between.
This story is from the February 2024 edition of Gourmet Traveller.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the February 2024 edition of Gourmet Traveller.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
48 HOURS IN LUCCA
By the Serchio river within Renaissance-era walls, Lucca's gastronomic treasures are set to delight, as ANASTASIA MIARI discovers.
POSTCARDS FROM UDINE
Off the radar in northeastern Italy, the provincial city is rich with la dolce vita.
BERGAMO OR BUST
Concealed between sophisticated Milan and glamorous Lake Como, beautiful Bergamo is Lombardy's hidden gem, discovers ANNA HART.
Coast with the most
Food writer AMBER GUINNESS transports us to the shores of Italy's Tyrrhenian Sea by way of delicious helpings of pasta, fish and limoncello.
SALUTE
Explore the warm Mediterranean waters and fresh flavours of Sardinia with these recipes from Brisbane's Pilloni by chef PIETRO SEGALINI.
Tutti a tavola a mangiare!
The alimentari, or small Italian food store, is a treasure trove of continental delicacies to inspire and delight. We hit the shops, exploring row after row of specialty Italian goods, as the starting point for these delightful trattoria dishes.
Everyday
JULIA BUSUTTIL NISHIMURA shares simple dinners, elegant tray bakes and easy entertaining dishes with an Italian lean.
The golden rules of pasta
Melbourne's modern-day pasta god ANDREAS PAPADAKIS, co-owner and executive chef at Tipo 00, shares his knead-to-know playbook.
Italy by train
Station to station, town to town, ERICA FIRPO experiences poetry in motion on board vintage locomotive, the Treno Natura.
SEARCHING FOR Venice
The key to unlocking the essence of this most romantic of Italian cities is to get lost in it, writes LEE TULLOCH.
