Bottarga

The story

Bottarga Brighton: Modern Italian Dining with Native Flair

The Kitchen and Its Founders

Bottarga sits at 198 Bay Street in Brighton, where chef Federico and his partner Sommi run a distinctly Italian kitchen. The venture began on Martin Street with fewer than twenty seats and an open pass that put every plate directly into view. Federico arrived with extensive experience across several high-profile restaurants, while Sommi shaped the front of house with a focus on instinctive hospitality. Their current space offers a wider footprint but preserves that close, personal rhythm.

Plates and Pastry

The culinary approach favors familiar structures layered with local ingredients. Queensland prawn culurgiones arrive with sea grapes and a kombu emulsion, drawing praise in the Australian Good Food Guide. Other plates follow the same pattern of careful construction, such as tajarin tossed with Moreton Bay bugs and warrigal greens, or a chocolate torte finished with bunya bunya nut and vegemite namelaka. This modern Italian framework guides every course, whether guests choose the à la carte layout or the tasting progression.

The Room and the Pour

Evening service moves through a relaxed aperitivo window before dinner takes over until late. The bar program leans into Australian native botanicals, turning classic templates into sharper profiles. A cinnamon myrtle gin replaces traditional herbs in a French Bijou, while mountain pepper berry adds heat to a white lady variation. The Italian cooking style remains clear beneath these local substitutions, anchored by a wine cellar that earned Wine Spectator recognition and keeps the evening pace steady.