Dining review, Corso Brio: Restaurant’s unusual $38 coffee pasta dish

A glitzy new Italian restaurant in Sydney has come up with some unusual dishes including a $38 coffee pasta combo. Luckily, we’ve tried it for you.

There are some ingredients that should never be mixed and most rational people would put the combination of coffee, venison and pasta on that list.

However, a newly-opened restaurant in Sydney is experimenting with those unique flavours as part of its modern Italian menu.

Corso Brio opened its doors earlier in the year but has been closed pretty much since it opened because of the lockdown.

Now the city is emerging from its slumber, revellers are pouring into the fancy-looking establishment beneath the luminescent towers of the CBD’s glitzy Barangaroo district.

It’s a gorgeous space with an intimate vibe, a small but punchy menu and a massive wine and cocktail list.

The elegantly crafted interior draws its inspiration from the grand ballrooms of Europe, with high ornate ceilings, grand chandeliers and rich timber finishes.

Italian food is hard to get wrong, but it’s also hard to stand out from the crowd too so you can see why restaurants are pushing new ideas out there.

Coffee and pasta shouldn’t work but this was delicious.

Corso Brio’s most daring dish is homemade egg tagliatelle with slow cooked venison ragu, Sardinian pecorino, porcini and coffee dust — which will set you back $38.

It’s a hell of a meal. It’s soft, juicy, eggy and buttery, while the coffee gives it an unusual zing that takes it to an unusual new level. Who would have thought?

It was the standout dish for us, but another unusual one that worked well was the beef carpaccio with wild rocket, shaved parmesan, toasted hazelnuts and dark chocolate — which will leave your wallet $34 lighter.

It was fresh, zingy and powerful little meal that was crunchy with a bittersweet twist.

Other standout dishes from what we tried were the grilled octopus ($52), which is slow cooked and grilled, and served with sauteed friarielli, potato mousse and an oregano dressing.

The fish of the day is also an awesome shout, served with heirloom pickled radish, sugar snap, asparagus and olives salmoriglio.

The decor is stunning.

Or if you’re a person of simple tastes the $18 chips are a pretty wild experience. Served with black truffle salsa and Italian pecorino, they’re some of the fanciest chips in Sydney and probably some of the tastiest.

Overall, it’s a pretty funky little joint that’s worth a visit if you’re wanting to push the boat out or try some Italian grub that’s a little different.

Corso Brio is open six days for lunch and dinner and offers group bookings as well as function and event room hire.

You can find out more and make bookings on the Corso Brio website.