Concrete Playground

Perched on a corner in Darlinghurst, Honeycomb has wide windows running down the length of one side so that from almost any seat you can see the street. It makes it feel as if you could lift the roof off and you’d have a little Italian piazza. However, it isn’t the best place for a date (eating at the 6.30pm, family-time sitting probably doesn’t help either) as the small tables are very close - it’s a little hard to be romantic while speaking to your dining partner as if they were hard of hearing. Saying that, when the sun sets and the lights dim, it definitely becomes more atmospheric.

If you follow food news, you’ll know this is Andy Bunn’s (former chef at Café Sopra) project, and if you’re a regular at one of the Fratelli restaurants, don’t expect any surprises. This is far from being a criticism though: the Fratelli restaurants do some of the best relaxed, Italian food this side of Leichhardt.

From the extensive primo selection we started with the Charcuterie Board. This is nothing fiddly, just a plate piled generously with salty pieces of salami, smoked ham, bresaola, parma ham, and cotechino, served with a lemon wedge which worked surprisingly well.  The Blue Swimmer Crab and Asparagus Frittata was quite runny and would have worked better as a light, delicate dish, as the crab got a little lost in the mound of egg.The Vitello Tonnato was perfect, with a creamy, rich sauce laced with citrus flavours over veal that fell apart on your fork.

The Meatballs are a classic – big and juicy, with thin pasta and rich tomato sauce. The Lamb Ragu too was intensely flavoured and tender. The Barramundi had a lovely dichotomous texture, with crunchy skin and a soft middle, set off by a tangy fennel salad.  All the portions are generous so prepare to get stuffed. The Semifreddo (meaning ‘half-frozen’) was excellent, tasting like an ice cream tiramisu with a sneaky alcoholic aftertaste.

Go there while it’s still unlicensed, as it means you’ll walk out absolutely stuffed with a tenner in your pocket to get a cab home. Or, if you’re going out, Victoria Street and The Cross are an easy walk away.

As we sat and talked, it felt as if we were sitting in an Italian living room, where everyone’s talking over the top of each other and reaching across the table. That said, it doesn’t matter because it's about the good food and the company. In a nutshell, Honeycomb is Nonna’s living room after having an eastern suburbs-style nip and tuck.