Monte Alto Eatery & Bar
Sunday – Thursday, 8am – 2:30pm, 4:30 – 9:30pm
Friday & Saturday, 8am – 2:30pm, 4:30 – 10:30pm
3/300 Pacific Hwy, Crows Nest
(02) 9438 2750
www.montealto.com.au

Sitting in Sydney’s North Shore is Monte Alto Eatery & Bar – an indulgent modern Australian cuisine that specialises in wine, whisky and Australian fusion.

Tucked away in the bustle of Crows Nest is a calling for any Sydney foodie out there.

Apart from their picture-perfect cocktails and refreshing décor – Monte Alto Eatery & Bar is known by Sydney-siders for their indulgent food designed by Owner and Head Chef, Harry Nguyen. Like any creator, Harry’s personality and characteristics are clearly evident throughout each aspect of the venue.

After visiting the Crows Nest restaurant, there’s a passion in everything customers came to enjoy. Within each bite of the hearty meals, and every sip of a cocktail that’s perfectly shaken or stirred – it all coincides with Harry and his enthusiasm for food and hospitality.

The menu itself can seem quite bizarre at first to any newcomer trying Monte Alto Eatery & Bar. But, rest assured, after the first bite the fusion between Australian, Vietnamese and Italian is surprisingly cohesive.

Before heading straight into the main meal, choosing the right entrée was proving to be rather difficult. So many options, such little time and stomach space.

From personal preference, the Halloumi Fries ($13) that were served with pesto aioli and tomato salsa teamed rather well with the main that followed. If halloumi isn’t favoured in your cheese constructed life, definitely try the Waygu Meatballs; faultlessly balled, cooked to perfection and served with a rich, decadent, Neapolitan sauce ($15).

The Coffee Rubbed Pork Roast ($29) was beyond beautiful. The meat itself simply melted in our mouths as we took our first bite. Then with the mix of garlic mash to stock reduction sauce was perfectly executed by the team in the kitchen. Alongside with the poached greens, tomato salsa and all of the herbs that were stuffed so elegantly inside was happily cherished.

For those who have a sweeter tooth when it comes to alcoholic drinks, definitely pair the Halloumi fries and Waygu Meatballs with either a Purple Rose cocktail. Filled with Tanqueray Gin and Parfait Amour that’s married together for a refreshing and lively lychee martini ($17).

Otherwise, if you consider yourself a universal drinker, the Smoke on the Water ($19) will be just the fix. Shaken and served on the rocks with Laphroaig 10yo Single Malt, lemon juice, egg white and honey simple syrup – this will definitely resemble a standard Amaretto Sour with Monte Alto’s twist.

Apart from their impressive cocktail menu, Monte Alto Eatery & Bar takes the title with the largest collection of whisky and wine in Sydney’s lower north shore. As well as that, the team boasts about their wide range of locally sourced craft beers and quality grade imports from the likes of Peroni, Corona and Asahi.

Sticking to a more poultry based main meal, my confidence is in the Stuffed Chicken Marsala priced at $28. The Chicken Maryland was served with xiu mai, South East Asian herbs stuffing, crispy streaky bacon, marsala sauce, garlic sautéed spinach and a sweet potato puree which proved to have a creamy yet light touch to it. The layering between each aspect of the course was brought together so peacefully on the palette – something a lot of other venues struggle to do so.

Of course, any restaurant located in a vibrant dining precinct can struggle to stand out without being overly aggressive in their meals, but in my opinion Monte Alto Eatery & Bar perfectly executed every aspect of the night.

Whatever the occasion, the Crows Nest venue is perfect for enjoying quality sourced meals, a vibrant atmosphere and cheerful service. The fusion, characteristic and pride of various cuisines were wonderfully presented by Monte Alto Eatery & Bar and will definitely be a go to for a hearty meal this winter.

Specials:

Weekdays:
– $10 breakfast before 9am

Thursday night:
– Whisky night with 30% off all whiskies and Old Fashioned

Weekends:
– Bottomless Mimosa $25 for 1.5 hours

Sunday night:
– Three course dinner with wine, $49 per person

Feature image: Coffee Rubbed Pork Roast $29