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14.5/20Critics' Pick

Carne & Cucina

Updated ,first published

The Rangers Valley dry-aged rib eye with condiments.
1 / 3The Rangers Valley dry-aged rib eye with condiments.supplied
Grilled meat is the speciality at Carne & Cucina.
2 / 3Grilled meat is the speciality at Carne & Cucina. Supplied
The restaurant has an in-house butcher.
3 / 3The restaurant has an in-house butcher. Supplied
14.5/20Critics' Pick

Carne & Cucina

Italian$$

Elevated Italian fit for every occasion.

Carne. That’d be the cabinet on the right, flush with Saratoga meats, ranging from grass-fed beef through to black pudding. The Cucina? Come nightfall, Nicola Coccia steps into the kitchen while his wife Alexandra works the floor, tracking between tables brimming with locals who know they’re on to something just a little special. You can feel it from the moment a house Dirty Tini, cold and briny, lands alongside sourdough with a mountain of whipped smoked butter.

For antipasti go turf, with hemp-fed beef tartare shot through with chives, or surf, with bluefin tuna crudo packing citrus sharpness and seaweed depth. Spaghetti cacio pepe and mezze maniche alla vodka topped with a blob of stracciatella are two of the Coast’s best renditions, while Alexandra’s wine list is packed with personality. And that’s all before you get to the Rangers Valley sirloin, rich and deep and darkly crusted.

Good to know: The sirloin is the only steak on the standard carte, but there’s market-price wagyu plus two dry-aged rib-eyes to share to think about.

Good Food reviews are booked anonymously and paid independently. A restaurant can’t pay for a review or inclusion in the Good Food Guide.

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