We have travelled and imagined ourselves as gladiators arm in arm with the mighty Crowe. We have made love to Italian woman and have been broken-hearted in Sicily. We have witnessed AC Milan outplay Real Madrid in a pure demonstration of elegance and skill. We have walked down the cool backstreets of Assisi and been humbly ushered in by real, dumpy Italian mamas with accents as thick and round as their busting breasts, to drink red wine and listen to Pavarotti.
However, underlying all these experiences there has been a constant source of inspiration. Something that is integral to the Italian way of life. Something that bonds families together. It is the essence of Italy. It is the food.
Whether spaghetti, vermicelli, fedelini, capellini, bucantini, fusilli, fettuccine, linguine, mafaldine, stringozzi, cannelloni, ditalini, garganelli, penne, rigatoni, tortellini, or even gnocchi, when combined with tomato and garlic, or cream and cheese, some olive oil and parmesan, you have yourself a delicious bowl of pasta. Yet, at Cafe Sopra you get a little more than that.
In their menu, Sopra breathes this very essence. Each dish is reminiscent of the real Italy. However, Sopra alerted us to an important element of Italian Cuisine. That it inhabits a universality and therefore, an adaptability. Sopra offers not only authenticity, but a creativity that allows it to function in an Australian context. It is hard to pick out any one dish from the menu to acclaim, since we have never been disappointed when dining at Sopra. Our most recently enjoyed meals included a Salad of Roast Pork Belly, a simple but exquisite Spaghetti alla Carbonara, and a slice of the most delightful Banoffi Pie.
When we order a Carabonara there is something that we are all inherently looking forward to, even if we do not consciously know it. Cheese, eruptions of pepper, waves of salt from crispy slivers of bacon, a subtle consistency of egg, cream and the light lubrication of olive oil throughout. The Carbonara had it all.
We don’t know if the Pork Belly salad is an established Italian dish, or if it combines tradition with an innovative sense of reworking, so that it appeals to an Australian audience. We felt blissfully confused when we tasted our first mouthful. The combination of pork belly, fresh apple, Treviso and pan-fried walnut was a delicious coalescence of simplicity and flair. We recommend that you accompany your Carbonara with a shared, pork belly salad. There is however many other salads to choose from that will complement your meal in both flavour and balance.
Hasn’t everyone tried to share that one nervous string of spaghetti? Maybe. Would we take a girl to Sopra? Yes! Italian cuisine is romantic. Red wine and a bowl of pasta will never be a meal to forget. There is something so raw about the romance that is associated with Italian food sharing. At Sopra you cannot make a booking, so be sure to wait for a table inside. We suggest sitting at the bar, ordering a couple of Campari’s with red grapefruit juice and sitting out the weight until a table frees up. When you first eat at Sopra it does initially feel a tad strange to be seated amongst shelves stacked full of delicious groceries. One could certainly be turned off by this restaurants setting. However, we believe that Sopra’s location is only testament to the quality of the food that it serves.
Not much has to be said about this Banoffi. It is simply a gift. Eat it!
The service was quick, intuitive and European. No Complaints there.
Price: You can get away with spending anywhere between $30 to $60 a head on average. Depending on how many people you dine with and if you indulge in desert. Believe us, indulge! Drinks will add to the cost. No need to worry, Sopra will fill you up. Exceptional value for money!
Italian's do things with heart. Sopra does things with heart and ingredients from Fratelli Fresh.
Adam gives Sopra 4 Spoons
Douglas gives Sopra 4 Spoons
