Society Di Catania, Potts Point

It’s Friday night and what better way to start the weekend than dinner with a group of our fave friends. We catch the train and Society di Catania is a conveniently 1-2 min walk from Kings Cross station on a quiet part of Victoria St.

In contrast to their original pizzeria at Bondi which has a casual and playful feel, their new Potts Point sister restaurant is sophisticated, spacious and so much more than just pizza!

The restaurant is divided into 2 halves, both with long communal tables perfect for groups, as well as several street facing tables for 2-4 people which are perfect for us.

First up we are spoilt for choice by the appealing assortment of hot and cold starters in the Pippo’s board ($39), with standouts notably the truffled pecorino cheese, porcini and truffle arancini balls, warm mixed olives, mixed breads with olive oil and giardiniera (italian pickled vegetables) which were surprisingly a good balance of sweetness and vinegar. Highly recommend sharing amongst 4-6 people.

For anchovy fans, let's rejoice and check out the Sicilian white anchovies ($14). Society Di Catania's white anchovies are fresh and tasty (without being fishy), with gremolata made of zesty lemon, parsely, olives and crunchy croutons and pinenuts.

Gnocchi con funghi ($26) is a generous portion, with hearty flavours of gorgonzola, wild mushrooms, and truffle. This dish is perfectly cooked handmade gnocchi, though the strong flavours are quite rich so I would recommend sharing this dish so you get a nice variety in palette.

The Pappardelle ($24) is a popular favourite on our table, with tender slow cooked osso buco ragu that is quite homely and moreish. The boys tried to be courteous though we could tell they both wanted to devour the leftovers. The pasta is sleek, thin and fresh. The ragu is so tender and homely. This dish was so easy to eat.

Pizzas are what their original store are all about, thus we were curious whether it would uphold their standard. We try the familiar Marcantonio ($20) traditional pizza size, and are delighted it tastes just as good as we remember from our first bite at Bondi (see blog post here), with super thin slices, light fluffy crusts, and generous toppings of proscuitto, ricotta, fior di latte mozzarella and truffle oil.

Whatever you choose to eat, you must save room for their specials dessert – the Nutella pizza in a traditional size. Hands down one of the best nutella pizzas in town, with generous handfuls of strawberries on top that balance the sweetness of the Nutella. This dessert pizza enabled the lightness and crispness of their wood-fired pizza to shine, and the orange biscotti a befitting golden crown. Highly recommend.

If you don’t have quite enough tummy space for the nutella pizza, these following 2 desserts are satisfying and reliable choices.

The Tiramisu with biscotti ($15) is our next favourite. The top layer had a bit more cream than we would like, though underneath it was coffee and liquer heaven.

Matteo’s crème brulee ($15) with orange peel is nicely made with a smooth vanilla creamy consistency, and a perfect thin layer of blow-torched sugar that yields a satisfying crack with the spoon.

Summary: Authentic Italian foodfare at Potts Point that matches the quality of their original “buonissimo” pizzas at Bond, though goes above and beyond with plentiful tables and introduces amazing entrees, pastas and desserts without compromising on the great service and quality food. Best enjoyed with a group of friends.

Price: $35pp
Location: 186-188 Victoria St, Potts Point (2 mins walk from Kings Cross station).

Opening Hours: Monday to Friday dinner from 5pm, Saturday and Sunday from 12pm for lunch and dinner.

Weekend Food Escapes dined as guests of Society Di Catania. All words, opinions and photos are our own.