Pendolino - Sydney, Australia: A restaurant, café, wine bar and specialty olive oil store, Pendolino is a one-stop shop for enthusiasts of anything Italian. It is a new and already favored fine dining restaurant among locals and tourists, and possibly one of the best restaurants in the area; although I wasn’t much impressed. While the interior was very elegant and chic—dark wood and deep earthy colors—the food and the service were below our expectations for a restaurant so raved about.

Because it is an olive oil specialty store, they use only high-quality olive oil in all their dishes. Their ingredients are also based on fresh produce. Also offered is a considerable Italian wine selection. Besides the rawness and freshness of the ingredients, there is nothing impressive about the dishes concocted in this restaurant. We tried their fish stew and spinach ravioli. The ravioli was past al dente and the spinach was a bit overcooked. The fish was fresh and flavorful but the stew itself seemed to lack a kick or a bite. It was just below par compared to authentic Italian restaurants, and considering its price range.

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Our wine was a 2005 Clifford Bay Estate Sauvignon Blanc, suggested to us by the sommelier. I would have to commend him for an excellent pairing with the fish. The rest of the wait staff, however, was average at best. Our waiter was courteous enough but always seemed to be in a hurry, to the point of being inattentive. He did not make us feel welcome at all. I rate the Pendolino somewhere between bombastic and not.

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