What is the Fiasco experience? Bar Fiasco is a modern wine bar with an extensive wine menu of both local and international varieties. Ristorante Fiasco is authentic Italian regional cuisine with all the subtle extras’ which make you feel you are dining in a restaurant in Northern Italy. It is the combination of sophistication and elegance, with a charming honest Italian family atmosphere.
There is something truly wonderful about having a waiter with a strong Italian accent, or listening to the staccato instructions being given to staff in the native language.
It was a beautiful evening and we were seated outside in the courtyard to admire the sunset. The courtyard is a column filled space surrounded by gardens containing fresh herbs.
We were given a complimentary bowl of baby olives and the menus to peruse. At thirteen pages, the wine menu was the most comprehensive I have seen in Coffs Harbour. We were impressed at the varieties of wine on offer, and the regions represented. I can honestly say I have never sampled a true Sangiovese from Tuscany before, and I was excited! This was going to be a complete experience.
If you are having trouble choosing a wine, Bar Fiasco has a resident sommelier that has had an international career spanning three decades. He studied wine technology at Monash University and is certified by The International Court of Master Sommeliers.
Naturally the bar is not limited to wine alone. There is a great range of 18 beers, including local boutique beer from Bellingen, and a range of imported varieties. If you fancy a cocktail there is a full page to choose from.
The menu is mouth watering! The Ristorante uses fresh, local and imported ingredients with a real taste of Italy. Simone (sim-on-ay) our waiter tells us the menu changes regularly to suit the seasons. I chose the Fiori Di Zucchini Ripieni as an entrée to share with my lovely husband. The zucchini flowers are crumbed and filled. They are deliciously crispy on the outside with a smooth creamy pecorino and potato filling. The dish is presented beautifully on a tile with a salad of fresh flowers, heirloom tomato and mint.
The Italian wine certainly compliments the food and the atmosphere. Simone explains that Fiasco is a family owned business involving the extended family. Simone and Stefano (chef) have only lived in Australia for the last 5 years only, which also explains the authentic feel, the passion and the strong accents.
We enjoy a second glass of wine and admire the food being delivered to tables. It is all gorgeously presented and we promise each other that we will be back soon to try more dishes.
Our mains arrive, Mr GG has ordered the Pasta Ai Gamberi which is a delicious house made potato gnocchi served with Yamba prawns and finished with a burnt butter and black truffle sauce. The flavour is perfect; the gnocchi has been cut into cute little pieces to suit the size of the prawn perfectly. The prawn is deliciously light and fresh and the parsley finishes the taste of summer nicely.
My main is the Petto D’anatra, a Hastings Valley marinated duck breast served with caponata and puree of chick pea with juniper berry and port jus. This meal is to die for! There is no other way to describe the mouthwatering brilliance of the sauce. The more I ate the more I craved. I will struggle to go past this dish in future visits.
The duck itself was crispy skinned and succulent, cooked perfectly. It is served on a chick pea puree with tiny diced eggplant, raisin and zucchini, it looked like a Lebanese style of dish but tasted rich and modern. Mr GG and I spoke about how we could have just drunk the sauce straight from a jug.
In my opinion this is the pick of the restaurants in Coffs Harbour at the moment, it easily outshines others in the area. It has the location, the atmosphere, the service, the wine and a delicious menu which suits formal or casual dining. I had noted a Pancetta and Gorgonzola pizza on the menu which I would love to try on a more causal night.
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I had managed to save a little space for dessert. The menu includes very tradition Italian desserts, presented in a modern style. I chose the Macedonia di Frutta. Which is a fresh stone fruit salad macerated in moscato and finished with a spiced lemon custard. The dessert was served in a scooped bowl with the fruit hidden under the zesty cheesecake foam. It was deliciously sweet, light and fluffy. It was the ideal summer dessert, a grown up fruit salad with lemon sherbet. The perfect finish to a beautiful evening!
Bar Fiasco is open from Tuesday to Saturday from 4pm. Ristorante opens at 6.00pm, for bookings phone 6651 2006. Fiasco is located on the Jetty strip of restaurants at 22 Orlando Street Coffs Harbour.
