86 Abercrombie St
Chippendale, Sydney
The name says it all. This is a very diverse place! First of all you have Zigi Ozeri, the live wire host and owner. Not surprisingly he matches the place - quirky, lively and fun! Even though it's called an Art Wine Cheese Bar it has great food as well with an Ausraeli theme - but adding "Restaurant" may make the name just to long.
The people at the table next to us were there on on a cheese journey. They were having five different cheeses - each matched with a different wine - and they were loving it. Another group were in the front bar for drinks. Others were there for pre-dinner drinks and nibbles while some were there to dine for the night, like us. Later on even more people arrived for a night cap. Zigi's is diverse.
One of the specialties of the house is the handmade labne cheese sprinkled with za'ater, drizzled with olive oil and served with pita.
This was so smooth and so tasty.
We love labne and this was certainly one of the best we've had. The za'ater and olive oil added even more complexity and a bit of texture. Fortunately there was plenty of it too. Yum.
Next was something seafood - but with a twist.The falafel prawns were served with an amba relish and a paprika emulsion. The falafel enveloped and went nicely with the prawns. The crisp outer and soft texture inside was a delight.
The amba relish - a mango based sauce that is often served with falafel - that the prawns rested on, was also delicious.
The seared scallops with chorizo soil was another tasty and unique dish.
The white chorizo soil was surprisingly subtle, going very well with the scallops without overpowering their delicate flavour.
The scallops were perfectly cooked too, with a light hand in the kitchen ensuring they were served "just right".
The wow dish of the night in terms of appearance would have undoubtedly been the beetroot mille feuille.
It looked simply spectacular with its splashes of different colours and joyously it all tasted just as good as well.
It came with feta mousse, basil chips and a dotted drizzle of citrus vinaigrette.
It would almost be a sin to visit Zigi's and not have some cheese! We had a selection chosen by the enigmatic Zigi himself and they were all amazing. The cheese list here is impressively long and diverse like the venue! The cheeses come from everywhere and in all textures and flavours. It's a cheese lovers heaven! The giant sheet of hand made lavosh that comes with the cheese looked spectacular and went so well.
The venue is quite large, but separated into many different areas. You enter into the bar area from the side street, but this leads through one way into the dining area while the other way takes you into the massive kitchen that is also used for regular cooking classes. Upstairs is a private dining room and also where the art is displayed. And of course you can't go to Ziggi's without noticing the man himself. He's everywhere and such a character! |
| Zigi |
There's always something happening, and always something different to look forward to! The quality of the food and drinks were worth the visit alone!
The cooking school details are here: https://www.facebook.com/ZIGISCookingSchool
Sir and Mlady dined as guests of Ziggi's Art Wine Cheese Bar. Special thanks to Zigi Ozeri for arranging our visit and for being such dynamic host.
