Osteria Uno - The Latest in Birkenhead

A husband-and-wife duo that are no stranger to dish rave reviews, Jordan and Sarah Macdonald, have recently opened doors to their newest venture – Osteria Uno.

In an area already blessed with a strong line-up of eateries, it was going to take an impressive spot to turn heads, but the team’s fresh take on Italian dining has seemingly done the trick.

Housed within the historic Stott’s Butchery building, circa 1910, locals may remember the space more recently as an embroidery shop! 

Keen to showcase the building's heritage, the original wall and floor tiles have been lovingly restored and original stained-glass windows have been kept while the team brought in more contemporary touches like the marble countertop, terracotta finger tiles and comfy leather banquet seating.

With 40 seats inside and a further 10 outside, the eatery gives an intimate yet bustling atmosphere with staff that bring energy behind and in front of the bar.

The menu is designed to be simple and seasonal, with homemade pasta as the star of the show. And whilse we agree, our Casarecce and Rigatoni were utterly delicious, it was surprisingly one of the smaller plates that we couldn’t get over. The Beef Tartare served on a pizza fritta with pecorino is an absolute must try.

The wine and beer list looked gorgeous, however, it was a cocktail sort of evening so we went for some of the Italian classics including the limoncello pomelo spritz and the Garibaldi with campari and freshly squeeze orange juice.

And despite not having enough room for dessert (we’re sorry!), there was a generous selection to choose from including affogato, tiramisu, little puffs of fried custard called crema fritta, or macerated strawberries with buffalo yoghurt mousse. 

Open Wednesday-Saturday from 5pm, this may be a new regular for those on the shore or one to add to the list for visitors.

Menu picks:

• Beef tartare, pizza fritta, pecorino
• Raw market fish crudo, buffalo curd, sicillian olive
• Rigatoni, lamb belly, preserved lemon, oregano 

140 Hinemoa Street, Birkenhead, Auckland
www.osteriauno.co.nz