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Lago Cucina

A tale of two schnitties.

Crab spaghetti, honey-glazed carrots and greens with pesto.
1 / 7Crab spaghetti, honey-glazed carrots and greens with pesto.supplied
Mushroom ravioli.
2 / 7Mushroom ravioli. James Brickwood
Rhubarb and coconut cheesecake.
3 / 7Rhubarb and coconut cheesecake.James Brickwood
The dining room at Lago Cucina.
4 / 7The dining room at Lago Cucina.Supplied
Sweetly tender Hawkesbury calamari fritti.
5 / 7Sweetly tender Hawkesbury calamari fritti.James Brickwood
Pizza with San Marzano tomatoes, fior di latte cheese and prosciutto.
6 / 7Pizza with San Marzano tomatoes, fior di latte cheese and prosciutto.James Brickwood
Swordfish with potatoes, capers and green olives.
7 / 7Swordfish with potatoes, capers and green olives.James Brickwood

Critics' Pick

Italian$$

Downstairs is a recently refurbished riverside pub with a wrestling match on the big screen and a serious-sized chicken schnitzel on the Budgie Classics menu. Venture upstairs, however – to the quiet, airy, limestone and leather Lago Cucina – and your schnitty will come in the form of pork cotoletta with unctuous sage cream sauce and bright baby rocket.

It’s a beautiful space where you can gaze down on anglers wetting their lines and load the table with Italian classics such as long-flavoured meatballs and sweet local king prawns still sizzling in the pot.

There’s juicy pesto-graced chicken from the wood-fired oven, calamari fritti showcasing Hawkesbury squid and plenty of puffy-crusted pizza options loaded with sopressa, more prawns and fior di latte. In other words, a nice bit of simple, delicious fun for day trippers and lifers.

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Original URL: https://www.smh.com.au/goodfood/nsw-good-food-guide/lago-cucina-20240924-p5kd8o.html