Sincero Malvern restaurant review 2024

This quirky neighbourhood restaurant is pulling out all stops to stand out from the crowd — in both baffling and brilliant ways.

Sincero isn’t afraid to bend the rules when it comes to traditional Italian food.

I love Italian food for the same reason I sometimes loathe it.

I adore its simplicity, comfort-factor and how inoffensive and delicious it is — despite how predictable it can be. Don’t come for me, I’ll slurp cheesy parmigiano and pepper lacquered noods any day, but go to any Melbourne restaurant with an Italian pulse and you’ll find the same line-up.

Burrata, agnolotti or ravioli del plin, steak or fish or a whop of tiramisu to end.

Just ask Malvern’s well-heeled. They’re in the thick of postcode pasta war with Grazia, Riserva, and Made in Casa all within a meatball’s throw of another.

This is why I suspect Sincero, the new kid of the block, is bravely sticking its neck out with some daring moves.

Carbonara-flavoured martinis and dessert, foamy eggplant parmigiana, ‘boneless cocktails’? Gulp.

Foamy eggplant parmigiana? Yes please.

Don’t chicken out though, I promise the delivery isn’t scary, but brilliant, at times.

It’s run by Cinzia Buono (Buono, Parkdale), her sommelier partner Fabio Magliano and chef friends Daniele Ruffulo and Micro Speri.

The posh Italian job opened inside a schmick old Glenferrie Rd townhouse in April, replacing the old Remy tapas bar, which moved up the road. The 40-seater is a mix of timber and marble-topped tables, terrazzo floors, stone walls with a cute Euro-curtain trim skirting the windows. Just watch yourself after a few wines on the steeper than Everest stairs to the toot.

Cinzia and Fabio work the floor, living up to the restaurant’s namesake with devout service.

However, Sincero at times gives me decision fatigue: there’s more menu choice than an RSL.

There are three degustations (four, five or six courses), which are a best-of compilation of the a la carte. Drinks? Match either basic or premium wines or cocktails with each course.

Driving? Half pour or boneless (zero-booze) cocktails to the rescue.

And that’s even before we crack the bottle list, categorised by Italian wine region and cute maps.

Scallop tartare resting on a bed of mozzarella. Swoon.

Seaweed spaghetti with Moreton Bay bug.

The carbonara martini ($15 half, $24) isn’t as rank as it sounds; a deconstructed creation of teeth-clatteringly cold, butter-washed guanciale (cured pork jowl) and white chocolate liqueur, served with an egg cup of whipped pecorino and pepper. The idea is to gob a spoonful of cheese, then sink the drink; the salty former kicking out the sweetness of the latter.

Strangely it tastes the part, the novelty making for great table talk, but is too sweet for me to order another.

Don’t be turned off by the eggplant parmigiana’s ($22) unsexy menu descriptor — it’s one of the best things on the menu.

Silky roasted eggplant and toasted sourdough bits hide in a sweet tomato chutney, domed by Parmigiano foam. It’s well balanced, with incredible texture. More please.

Equally matched to the scallop tartare ($26), twinkling on a fresh-made mozzarella cloud, dressed in a ‘pesto’ of hazelnuts, Parmigiano reggiano and sourdough giving it unique dimension. What a dream.

Sampietrino, a chocolatey ode to the cobblestone streets of Rome.

Though not everything lands or is as memorable.

The wagyu rump skewer ($16 each) isn’t overly inspiring, while bold flavours of the seaweed spaghetti ($47) — toasted nori, Moreton Bay bug and zesty orange gel — wrestle for my attention. The pasta making and al dente cooking is applause-worthy.

Baby snapper ($46), hibachi-kissed and slapped over cooked lentils and veg, felt ‘too healthy’ for a powerforce main, and lacked a ‘wet’ element to tie it altogether.

Dessert saw an improve.

An ode to Rome’s sampietrini or cobblestone streets, the samprietrino ($19) sees dark chocolate coat a square of ricotta, vanilla and lemon zest mousse, which eats like a savoury marshmallow.

Lots of brainpower has gone into Sincero’s concept, with some dishes busy and overthought, losing their gusto tableside. Others shine brightly.

In a world of mediocrity, I respect the bravery to be different.

With surprises at every turn, Sincero may not be for everyone, but it’s made me rethink my approach to going out for Italian.