Buffalo Dining Club
116 Surrey St
Darlinghurst, Sydney
We’d been meaning to visit this place for some time. Having been to many of their neighbours, it had always looked interesting, busy and quirky. Being an Italian place was a bonus too. The chance suddenly arose and we grabbed it with both hands!
Buffalo Dining Club is a small place with a big reputation. Unsurprisingly, we started with some drinks. Being an Italian place and on a nice sunny day meant - Aperol Spritz time and an Italian red too. A good spritz is a joy to behold and consume and this was delicious.
We love sharing starters and the menu here has several options that suit this concept perfectly. Fresh buffalo mozzarella was a must order and it came with a choice of two sides as well as crusty bread. The next decision was what sides to choose. The chat potatoes with rosemary and garlic seemed a given and we also went for the more unusual Brussel sprouts with balsamic and honey. They turned out to both be great choices. The cheese itself was amazing - it’s such an indulgent delicious option. We also had some delicious culatello prosciutto to add some meatiness. To really start over the top we also grabbed a serving of zucchini fritters that arrived crisp and golden and sprinkled with Parmesan. It was a big start to our meal.
Cacio e pepe is a dish we love. We’ve even had it in Rome at the place Anthony Bourdain tried to keep a secret - Roma Sparita. Here they serve it with salt, pepper, olive oil and parsley and then bring it to the table hot in a pecorino cheese wheel. It’s then tossed inside the wheel taking on some of the cheesiness - and cheese. It’s like dinner and a show watching this all unfold at your table. Their Pecorino Romano cheese wheel is imported once a month, fresh from Sardinia in Italy. It’s more than a nice touch - its a great one. The meal itself is also very tasty too.
Even though it was so hard not all having the cacio e pepe, we decided to order the daily special of pappardelle lamb ragu. It was a big, hearty, meaty dish with big flavours to match.
They do have desserts here too. Good luck fitting them in if you’ve overindulged like we did!
Buffalo Dining Club is a place that should be on the list of lovers of Italian food. You can drop in for a drink and a snack or settle in and stay for the whole afternoon or evening. It’s a nice place to be!