La Bottega Bakery.
Address: 503 New North Rd, Kingsland
Herald Rating: The menu is cabinet food during the week with a short brunch menu added on weekends.
We chose from both the menu and the cabinet and had to stop ourselves from over-ordering - everything from the savoury tarts and the bread to the sweet pastries and the featherlight Italian biscuits
looked divine.
The look was spacious and inviting, and the smell, as you walk through the door, is intoxicating. We loved the Italian baker's delivery bike hanging above the counter. There is minimal seating on the pavement and more in a covered courtyard area.
The food was, from start to finish, terrific. This bakery prides itself on its authenticity and pastry chef Andrea Catassi from Tuscany is a star. We ordered the valdostana - an Italian take on the toasted sandwich with flaky pastry, mozzarella, tomatoes and ham - which was devoured within minutes; Caprese eggs benedict (mozzarella, tomatoes and poached eggs on foccacia with basil hollandaise, $16.50) which was far tastier and lighter than the traditional version; and a spinach ricotta tart with salad ($15), which we also enjoyed.
