Restaurant review: The Dolphin

This Sydney pub with an ‘unfinished renovation’ is producing brilliant food, with friendly staff to match.

Edgy: the ‘unfinished renovation’ look inside The Dolphin. Picture: Jane Dempster

Somewhere else tonight, somewhere we're not invited, there's a bash for the glitterati of the restaurant world - a perfect night for The Dolphin, then.

It means we can eat, drink and be merry without being Mauriced.

Don't get me wrong; there's nothing wrong with being set upon by Maurice Terzini, all hard jaw, shaved head and black designer garb, a vision somewhere between monk and Marilyn Manson. He is a particularly committed individual, his enthusiasm infectious. Right now his zeal is all about the reinvention of a Surry Hills institution. But from the perspective of reviewing his restaurant, his absence is welcome.

Terzini has been a constant figure on the floors of Australia's hottest restaurants for more than 30 years; he's an innovator, a maverick.

But tonight he's in the city with his mates, and we're at his pub. The Dolphin. Anonymous. Un-Mauriced.

I hope he had a good time, because we sure did. How could you not?

From a pony of Moretti at the front bar to the stroll in for dinner, via the wine room, to the warren-like upstairs bars and terrace, there's much to take in. The "unfinished renovation" design draws on a whole new set of adjectives but, in the dining room at least, the result is light, spacious, acoustically pleasant, social. Elevating food prep areas, like the pizza station, to a semi-mezzanine height cleverly deflects the feeling of being in a barn; clear plastic covers on all the upholstered furniture - like your gran's 1974 Toyota Crown that never had the delivery plastic removed - are practical in the event of incontinence. Or spillage.

So let's just say the place has edge. But not attitude. Every staffer encountered had a smile, a "hi", time to chat. What a surprise; it's suddenly a place you want to like.

And the food? It's simple, classic, with identifiable roots and big flavours, done really well. Good value, too. When you can share a juicy, delicious chicken "cotoletta limone" - basically a schnitzel with aspirations - for $22, who minds paying $8 for a side of shredded white cabbage, peas and mint dressed with lemon and oil? (That cotoletta, btw, comes out of the pan with crunchy/salty sage and capers, diced lemon and a bit of guanciale, lemon cheek on top. It's perfect.) You'll get chunky sourdough, essential for a generous bowl of big mussels - again, perfectly cooked - with ballsy tomato, white wine, chilli and lemon forming an acidic, moreish terracotta puddle of soup.

You might get spaghetti with crab and bottarga, which sounds terrific, if your (otherwise excellent) waiter doesn't forget it. You'll get exemplary gnocchi with an utterly delicious ragu of lamb neck and green olive, some luridly green spinach sauce round the edge and a confetti of pecorino.

You'll almost certainly get pizza, too (pictured), "inspired by traditional pizza of Rome and northern Italy". I guess that means less puffy around the rim and drier at the centre than slavishly Neapolitan examples.

Whatever; it's done competently.

And you should get the clever version of semifreddo, too, because it comes with some rhubarb syrup, a mandarin granita and fresh, light honeycomb (it's not easy to get right).

What you won't see on the menu is the energy of the place, or the style. Melburnians will draw parallels with Terzini's time at Melbourne Wine Room - correct call.

So pop in; tell Maurice to take the night off. The Dolphin might be his vision, but it runs pretty damned well without him. Trust me.

Pizza at The Dolphin. Picture: Jane Dempster

AT A GLANCE: THE DOLPHIN

Adress: 412 Crown Street, Surry Hills, Sydney

Contact: 02 9331 4800, dolphinhotel.com.au

Hours: Lunch Fri-Sun; dinner daily

Typical prices: Starters $16; main $34; dessert $16

Summary: The great Aussie/Italian pub you always wanted

Like this? Try ... Osteria Oggi, Adelaide; Il Lido, Perth

Rating: 4 Stars