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Pasta and wine are always a great idea at Osteria Morelli on Ballina Street in Lennox Heads. Expect to sample dishes showcasing Northern Rivers produce using Italian techniques and principles at this restaurant, where whitewashed and exposed brick, metal pendents and spice-coloured walls invite lingering over memorable meals with family and friends, or a romantic rendezvous.
Why should you drop in for a meal at Osteria Morelli? Here are three good reasons:
What’s your most popular dish:
A must-try dish is for sure our casoncelli alla bergamasca. This typical dish from Bergamo, where our Chef/owner Martin Morelli is from, is pasta with a hearty filling of sausage and beef mince, Amaretti biscuits and pears, served with burnt butter, pancetta and sage.
This dish is something that you can't find anywhere in Australia because it is only found in the province of Bergamo. Chef Morelli grew up eating thousands of this casoncelli and nowadays he has never enough of this dish!
Another must-try is our daily baked focaccia. We have 3 different types on the menu - classic, cherry tomato and green olive, that we serve by the slice or by the loaf. We even have a section on our menu dedicated completely to focaccia!
What is your point of difference?
Our point of difference is that we are doing traditional Italian cuisine, mostly using local produce from the Northern Rivers. We don't have a fruit and veggie supplier, or a meat and fish one. Every Thursday morning, we are up early at the Byron Farmers Market choosing only the best ingredients available, from local mostly certified organic farmers.
We do the same with meat and fish as we buy those from Lennox Head Butchery and The Bay Seafood Market; because of that, our menu has changes every week.
We also make everything ourselves in-house - pasta and focaccia of course, but also ricotta and mascarpone cheese.
The atmosphere of the restaurant is the one of an everyday restaurant but with an always changing menu and wine list. You won't get bored!
What is a fun fact that not many people know about the restaurant?
Something that people may not know about us, is that we have a 'sister company' called Morelli Fresh. We supply the best restaurants, delis and grocers in the Northern Rivers with fresh pasta, focaccia, pizza, doughnuts, pasta sauces and condiments in jars which we regularly use in the Osteria!
We also do a monthly Bake Sale on the first Sunday of the month where you can find freshly baked focaccia, pizza and doughnuts along with our famous cannoli!
