Macchiato, 1 May 2009

Macchiato is one of those places I’ve been frequenting for a few years because the coffee and wood-fired pizza keep drawing me back. I’ve seen it through two interior fit-outs, most probably more than that in management changes and multiple versions of their menu. Where there are now bauble-type lights along the Liverpool Street side of Macchiato, used to be a raised seating section with space for a guitarist who would perform certain evenings.

Back to the present, Macchiato still does good coffee and excellent pizza. Upon stepping into the place, you are enveloped by the aromas of garlic and pizza bases emanating from the wood-fire oven in the middle of the restaurant. It is warming and inviting, if a little stuffy at times. The menu has become much more elaborate in recent times, however the service can be mediocre unfortunately and especially when it’s busy.

Monsieur Poisson and I find ourselves here for dinner after a day of wandering around the city. I feel like food that I can pick at so we share a garlic and cheese pizza as well as a mezze platter for one. The pizza arrives first on a thick wooden board and is beautifully crisp and thin. It is very, very garlicky with just enough cheese and a sprinkling of fine parsley.

The mezze platter was ordered because I couldn’t find the antipasto platter that I had ordered in the past – from memory, it had tzatziki, hummus, taramosalata, grilled haloumi, grilled octopus, grilled lamb, grilled flatbread and salad. The mezze platter is a variation of this memory with grilled octopus, salt and pepper calamari, lamb souvlaki, chicken schnitzel, fries, pitta bead, tzatziki and Greek salad adorned by a slab of feta.

The octopus is smokily charred and tender. The calamari is encased in a light and powdery batter and is tender within. The lamb is the standout for me in this mezze platter – it is meaty, juicy and tastes of being well-marinated with spices. The schnitzel seems an unusual inclusion and, unfortunately, looks like it has been pre-deep-fried then reheated. The fries are nice and make this dish very filling, so the tzatziki with pitta and salad provide cool and light relief.

As does the still night air when we step outside after our meal and realise that we both smell of pizza!

Macchiato

Cnr Pitt St & Liverpool St, Sydney NSW

Tel: (02) 9262 9525

Opening Hours:  7 days  7am-late

happy eating!