Cantina Moro

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The team behind Fitzroy trattoria Alta have reopened the space as Cantina Moro, homing in on the food of Sicily and Italy’s south – a pivot from its predecessor’s focus on the northern Italian region of Piedmont.

The jump from north to south makes sense when you consider new chef Matteo Tine’s Sicilian roots. Gone is the rabbit and olive pasta; in its place is a sturdy ragu over pappardelle made with hunks of Italian sausage, plus pork rib and jowl meat. A potato and ricotta ravioli is crowned with oregano and capocollo.

Daily antipasti might include a heap of tender porchetta, some peppery salami, vinegared anchovy, roast capsicum and a generous hunk of cheese – whatever they’ve found that day that appeals to the chef. Seafood is a strong point, in particular a honey bug crudo, in which the small crustaceans are split open, their bouncy raw flesh capped with citrus. Swordfish with agrodolce is a study in balance, sweet and sour and meaty.

Inspired by one of his nonna’s beloved dishes, Tine is stuffing chicken with a herby, zesty rice mix and roasting it until golden-skinned. It’s served in an “unctuous” gravy that includes whey from stracchino cheese he’s making in-house.

The wine list has also undergone a full swing to the south, with bottles often more affordable than their Piedmontese counterparts. There’s also a focus on Sicilian amaro, and a martini with natural orange vermouth.

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