Local knowledge

Bar Vincent is fast becoming a neighbourhood favourite, and for good reason

- KARLIE VERKERK & JORDAN KRETCHMER

What’s the point of dining out if you’re looking for a restaurant that feels like home? The point Bar Vincent makes is that the food may better than anything your mum, husband or nonna could whip up, and you won’t be forced to scrub pots and pans afterwards. The shallow bowl holding the maltagliati, however, seems to magically clean itself, albeit with a little assistance from a hunk of house-made bread.

The Darlinghurst trattoria-slash-bistro opened in July last year. Since then, its owners Sarah Simm (Billy Kwong) and Andy Logue (Pinotta and Scopri, Melbourne) have been quietly and confidently doing their thing. And they are doing it well. Simm’s thing is on the floor, serving guests in the multi-room dining space in a warm yet confident manner, while Logue heads up the compact kitchen.

The menu, artfully handwritten by Simm, is tight and modest, and heroes whichever produce is best on the day. You can count on oysters and, at this time of year, lighter dishes such as stuffed zucchini flowers; a salad of black Russian tomatoes and buffalo mozzarella; and fresh figs, selected at their peak ripeness, sliced and draped in salty culatello. Three handmade past as follows, plus a small handful of mains that dance around whole fish, stuffed birds and steak.