After discussing going to Rosetta with Em for at least 6 months and one cancellation we finally headed for dinner with Matt as well. Located at Crown it is the latest of Neil Perry's 3 restaurants at Crown with all three having a distinct different cuisine (Rockpool being the first with contemporary produce based cuisine, Spice Temple as a modern Chinese cuisine and Rosetta an old school Italian restaurant).
An old school classical restaurant located in a square box outside the front of Crown towers that has been decked out with no expense spared with a elegant foyer and entryway through to the main dining . (there was also a private dining area around the other side past stairs down to the bathrooms). The main dining room featured old school photos, old school chandeliers, drapes and comfy old chairs and banquettes. Also a old school new York style bar (but with some new school gadgets including a machine to melt block of ice and shape them into perfect circles of ice) and an extensive list of cocktails.
Old school dressed, confident and knowledgeable waiting staff that were maybe a bit too involved in the dinner at times but provided opinions and knowledge about wines drinks and food. After taking a seat ( i choose the really comfy banquette) and after much talking and not much looking at the menu we finally decided on drinks and dinner.
I decided on just a main course with a side and desert whereas Matt and Em went for a couple of antipasti items along with a main course each and after Em complained she was full she still finished off a desert as well.
Before the ordered courses came out we were offered some very good bread and excellent olive oil and there was plenty of refills of bread as we devoured it.
Em and Matt started with 2 antipasti that i tried a piece of each. The first was a dish of 3 decent sized meatballs along with a rich tomato sauce and a generous helping of shaved Parmesan. Very decent rich and flavoursome meatballs with good sauce and cheese.
The other antipasti was 2 thick triangular chunks of black pudding (blood sausage) which has been pan fried, maybe a little too much, with an excellent salsa Verde. The salsa Verde was excellent and cut through the richness of the blood sausage. However the blood sausage was a little too dry and a bit bland in flavour but a decent dish overall.
My main course was a dish of wood fired roasted lam loin served with a deliberate decent amount of fat and served slightly more cooked than usual as a result. This was an amazing cut of meat and combined well with a mixture of fregola, almond and preserved lemon. Great mix of flavours and a delicious dish.
This was accompanied by a side of extremely crispy potatoes with garlic and rosemary salt which were excellent. Didn't really match with the dish I choose but were delicious not the less.
For desert i went with a dish i have identified for a while and hoped they hadn't changed before i got to go to Rosetta. Described as Frozen chocolate, peanut and coconut semi freddo it was even better than described and expected. A peanut and coconut semi freddo covered in toasted coconut with a disk of frozen chocolate on the bottom surrounded by a pool of coconut custard. All the elements of the dish were amazing and perfectly measured both individually and as a whole. A good mix of wonderful technique, quality ingredients and a well thought out dish.
Overall the restaurant lived up to most of the top billing it receives. Quality produce and ingredients cooked simply but expertly and with some imagination, perfect technique and with good presentation. Dishes were on the pricey side and definitely a restaurant for the grand occasion rather than a weekly experience but it was certainly special when combined with the service, extensive drinks list and a dining room that meets its mark. Very worth a visit and the wait.
