Casoni - Darlinghurst

I'd been eyeing out this restaurant for awhile. We had the olives and sardines to start which were great. The octopus was fantastic but I was a little let down... read more I'd been eyeing out this restaurant for awhile. We had the olives and sardines to start which were great. The octopus was fantastic but I was a little let down by the pumpkin ravioli, it's was still great but I have an aversion to oil and this is a part of the dish. I found a lovely Chardonnay on the wine list and the ambience of the restaurant is really great. I would go back

Loved: the quality of produce, personalized service, ambience, price and negroni on tap! We will be back to this neighborhood gem for sure. read more Loved: the quality of produce, personalized service, ambience, price and negroni on tap! We will be back to this neighborhood gem for sure.

We recently attended Carsoni and were extremely disappointed. We ordered the 'Pallastrini Sardines with grilled sourdough'. What arrived was an open tin of sard... read more We recently attended Carsoni and were extremely disappointed. We ordered the 'Pallastrini Sardines with grilled sourdough'. What arrived was an open tin of sardines on a plate (with grilled sourdough). Tinned sardines in a restaurant????  We  then had the Tagliatelle pasta with Ricotta and Pumpkin. The texture of the pasta was right off - gluey. The ricotta and pumpkin was just a mash. The components lacked integrity, the dish lacked structure and the whole thing was sludgy with an unpleasant undertone. The extreme disappointment continued  with the  Limoncello Tiramisu. It was flat, lacked vibrance and depth. And the final insult - no real coffee - pod filter-like coffee only and also no option for milk based coffee (e.g. macchiato). The only positives was the antipasti/snack options. Not enough to make up for the otherwise highly disappointing experience. We DEFINITELY wont be going back!

The standout dishes were the black garlic bread and wagyu carpaccio toast flavour combinations were executed perfectly and Asian influences were apparent would... read more The standout dishes were the black garlic bread and wagyu carpaccio toast flavour combinations were executed perfectly and Asian influences were apparent would come back just for these starters.<br/ <br/ The pasta dishes I got, scarlet prawn and Moreton bay bug, were average. Pasta a bit on the thicker and chewier side and sauces were more like pastes. Though flavours were there, it didn’t complement the delicate produce ie scarlet prawns and Moreton bay bugs. Would’ve preferred if sauce was smoother and a big lighter.

Moreton Bay Bug Tagliatelle $39) 3.5/5<br/ chilli tagliatelle, moreton bay bug, garlic chive juice, chilli bisque, dill<br/ <br/ From the use of the Moreton Bag... read more Moreton Bay Bug Tagliatelle $39) 3.5/5<br/ chilli tagliatelle, moreton bay bug, garlic chive juice, chilli bisque, dill<br/ <br/ From the use of the Moreton Bag Bug head to the arrangement of the pasta, the presentation of this dish was absolutely immaculate. The tagliatelle was perfectly al dente, while the moreton bag bug was fresh and extremely succulent. However, the flavour of the chilli bisque was odd and ultimately failed to tie the dish together. An improved sauce would definitely have completed this pasta dish.<br/ <br/ Cacio e Pepe $21) 4/5<br/ spaghetti, pecorino, black pepper<br/ <br/ This dish exemplifies how less can be more. The grated pecorino cheese and black pepper combined to create a simple yet delicious dish. I certainly did not expect angel hair spaghetti, but it turned out to fit the dish perfectly and was of course al dente. I would have loved if this dish were served from a pecorino cheese wheel, but it was nonetheless delicious and I definitely preferred this over the tagliatelle.