For the Love of Pasta…
A love of pasta inspired Giulia Treuner to open Giuls, Surry Hills’ newest Italian restaurant.
Giuls is the first restaurant venture for Giulia however she is no stranger to the hospitality business, having spent half a decade with Rockpool. Together, with Esmeralda Perez (who was the Head Chef at Bondi’s Carbon Mexican woodfire restaurant) and Alessio Rago (Executive Chef at Manly Pavilion) they have created a female-led modern Italian restaurant.
Situated amongst the main thoroughfare of Crown Street, Surry Hills, Giuls has a buzzy but relaxed vibe; the perfect tempo for laid back dining. The décor inside is simple and cheerful, with wines on display and Italian lithographs framed on the walls. Diners can choose to sit inside with the busy kitchen in the background providing some fiery entertainment. Or if it’s a warm, opt for the outdoor seating under bright red and white umbrellas.
Whether you’re after a snack, share plates with drinks or a hearty pasta meal, Giuls has you covered offering per cominciare (pre-meal snacks such as olives, oysters or bread), antipasti (entrees) and pasta and primi (main meals). The menu is inspired by the Tuscany region that uses seasonal products, home-made pasta and fresh seafood.
To start, we ordered a plate of mixed olives marinated with orange and rosemary to snack on with cocktails. Giuls cocktail menu will appeal to many. My companion raved about the Fragola e Coriandolo ($22), a summery mix of mezcal, strawberries, coriander. Whilst I went with the classic Amaretto Sour ($20). The wine selection is excellent and sticking to the cuisine style has a good selection of Italian wines to try by the glass or bottle.
One of Giuls’ most popular dishes is the arancini balls with smoked mozzarella and truffle aioli ($9 for 2). Absolutely delicious! And given Giuls focus on fresh seafood, we ordered a couple of oysters served natural or with a strawberry vinegar ($4.50 each). Continuing to embrace food from the sea, we then selected the grilled Tasmanian octopus, nduja dressing and wild dill ($24). Highly recommend ordering the freshly made focaccia to mop up the leftover oil from this dish too.
If you love pasta then you need to go here. All the pasta is freshly made and worth every penne. Against recommendation, Giulia insisted the conchiglie vodka, pancetta and taleggio ($32) was added to the menu. And we’re grateful she did! This creamy pasta dish is a ‘must’ and one of many reasons to return to Giuls.
Whilst Giuls is carb heaven, don’t worry, they have tasty fresh salads too. We went with the fennel salad with greens peas and cucumber ($10). All the dishes are a substantial size, so you won’t go home hungry but my one food regret was not ordering the antipasto offering – burrata, burnt figs and vincotto ($20). At one point during the night this sweet decedent smell filled the restaurant and that was the dish. If only we weren’t too full. This sadly meant there was no room for dessert although we were tempted to taste the tiramisu or fresh mango cheesecake. Giulia however ensured we didn’t leave without a shot of the fresh home-made limoncello. The perfect way to finish off an Italian food feast.
With friendly, attentive service, delicious Italian dishes with a twist and drinks a plenty. There’s a lot to love in Giuls. Highly recommend visiting for all occasions.
Find Giuls at 515 Crown Street, Surry Hills
Open Wed-Thurs 4pm till late and Frid-Sun 12pm till late.
*Weekends Giuls offer bottomless brunch – for $79 includes 1.5 hours of aperol spritz, espresso martinis and house wines or beers with big platters of antipasto, focaccia and a pasta dish.
*Happy hour runs from 4-6pm (daily) and includes a selection of house wines, beer or a cocktail.
