No, I’m not going to break out into song (you’ve got Dean Martin in your head now, don’t you?), but I guess you can assume I LOVED Angelo’s.
From the decor, to the food to the service, this restaurant was my favourite on the Eden.
Before we left, I assumed there was a surcharge for the specialty restaurants, Angelo’s, Dragon Lady and Salt Grill. However, soon after we departed, much to my delight, I discovered both Angelo’s and Dragon Lady were gratis, complimentary, FREE! We were advised by the Maitre’d at The Waterfront to book as soon as possible, so we toddled off to Level 8 and made our bookings.
I feel a little greedy telling you this, but after our first dinner there, I thought I’d take advantage of Angelo’s being free and proceeded to book another two nights there PLUS Christmas dinner.
So here’s my first tip: Book early, book often and you won’t miss out.
My first impression of Angelo’s was WOW. I almost felt like we weren’t on a cruise ship, but rather a nice restaurant in Sydney’s inner-city. I did say, “almost” as there were a few giveaways – the rocking, the lanyards and of course, the fact we didn’t have to find a parking spot!
Decor: The room is bright and beautifully decorated. I’ve always had a soft spot for the magnificently stunning Sofia Loren – she reminds me of my gorgeous mum – and her exquisite face adorns the walls of Angelo’s. There’s a funky Vespa at the front (which doubles up as a reception desk for Gerard – say ‘Hi’ from me), and the palate is soft, neutral and classy.
Seating: Super comfy (I have problem with sitting on hard chairs due to a smashed coccyx many years ago) and again, there are configurations to suit most dining parties. We always got a booth which was very spacious. The tableware is crisp and elegant. Oh, and there are tablecloths.
Service: The waiters are efficient and really seem to glide around the room. But, as I have stated in all my posts, I was impressed with all the staff aboard the Eden.
Food: Bread sticks to start to help you decide on your meal (and I must warn you it was really hard to just pick one option from each course).
Entree
Arancini are a favourite treat for my children and the Fontina and Pumpkin arancini were sublime. Unfortunately, they were a little too delicate in flavour for the kids, but I enjoyed them. Perfect size and not oily at all.
Tuscan bean soup – served in a bread bowl was exactly what you’d imagine. Hearty, tasty and very filling. I didn’t eat the bread bowl which made me feel guilty, but it was quite big.
Charred sweet peppers, served on a platter with prosciutto, mortadella, salami, baby mozzarella, marinated sun-dried tomatoes, black olives and pickled artichoke hearts was our families favourite. Both my husband and I come from backgrounds where platters of antipasti are customary before meals, so this was perfect. On our second and third visits to Angelo’s we didn’t even hesitate to order five platters!
Mains
I urged my husband to try the sardines and he raved about them to anyone who would listen. Do yourself a favour and try these.
Gnocchi with pumpkin and sage butter was light and aromatic. Again, the subtle flavours did not appeal to the kids, but I enjoyed the dish. Extra shaved Parmesan on top would have elevated it to the next level.
Penne Puttanesca was Miss 8’s favourite and she smashed down the dish in a matter of minutes.
Risotto is a classic, but left me underwhelmed – the rice was too al dente and the flavours needed more oomph.
Pork neck was delicious, according to Miss 11. She must have loved it as she ordered it twice.
Veal ossobucco did not disappoint. If you love osso bucco, you will enjoy this dish. I don't eat veal so I can't tell you from first-hand. The family found it very flavoursome and full of all the classic flavours.
Chicken Parmy was my favourite from the menu. The only thing I could fault with this is that it could have been bigger (cause I’m a piggy).
Dessert
Chocolate and strawberry tiramisu, if you like traditional tiramisu, this is a little different. I found it yummo and not too heavy.
Ricotta and semolina pastry puffs, with mixed berry compote – crunchy, sweet and great with the kids. Would have been nice with ice cream.
Grana padano cheese, with rosemary honey and salted lavosh bread was a nice alternative to cake. I was missing my cheese on the cruise, so took advantage of munching on this full-flavoured and matured cheese. The rosemary honey is SUPER sweet, so use sparingly, but it matched the cheese perfectly.
Wine
Quite extensive and a little more pricey than Waterfront.We had the Cianti and it was okay.
Would you like my score out of 10? I’d give it a solid 8.5.
If Angelo’s was a restaurant in Sydney, it would our family's go-to Italian restaurant.
Addendum 1: The Angelo’s menu on the P&O website is much more detailed than the one we were offered on the Eden. I am assuming this is due to it being free on our voyage. I would like to try the extras such as the Linguini Vongole next time (fingers crossed).
Addendum 2: On the last night of our trip, we had booked into Angelo’s. Due to the rough seas coming back in to Sydney, within minutes of ordering, my Eden (Miss 10) started getting very seasick. The waiters couldn’t do enough to make her feel more comfy, even hand chopping a green apple for her to munch on, but nothing made her feel better. So, I took her down to the cabin – a little disgruntled I’d miss out on my Chicken Parmy which I had been craving all day – and waited for the others to finish their dinner so I could sneak up to the Pantry to eat. About 30 mins later, I got a knock at the door. The lovely staff from Angelo’s brought down my dinner! This was kind of against the rules and I was flabbergasted. And I go to eat my parmy!
