Cicio Cacio Osteria Newtown occupies the kind of tucked-away Riddiford Street space that feels discovered rather than announced. Chef-patron Giulio Ricatti had noticed the former restaurant site while visiting the neighbourhood years before he and Patricia helped bring it back to life. That personal history is part of why the room is treated as a home as much as a business. Its deliberately old-world, bohemian character gives dinner the intimacy of a small family osteria, with candlelight, warmth and conversation carrying as much weight as formality.
Instead of freezing Italian cooking into one permanent collection of familiar dishes, the kitchen moves around the peninsula. Menus change monthly, following a different city and drawing out regional recipes that may be less widely known. The approach makes repeat visits genuinely different and gives each dinner a geographic focus, while the restaurant's preference for humble food keeps that exploration grounded in the way people cook and eat at home.
Making things by hand is central to how the menu is built. Bread, pasta and sausages are explicit signatures, and the kitchen treats simplicity as a discipline rather than an excuse to do less. That philosophy encourages a meal to unfold naturally through several tastes, with careful ingredients and direct flavours taking precedence over elaborate decoration. It is an osteria in the useful sense: generous, personal and interested in the craft behind everyday regional food.
Wine follows the same journey as the cooking. The list crosses regions from Sardegna and Campania to Toscana, Piemonte and Sicilia, mixing recognisable styles with native grapes that receive less attention outside Italy. House wine can be ordered by the glass or carafe, while spritz, Campari soda and Negroni provide a classic aperitivo opening. The range is broad, but its purpose is simple: to help different drinkers find an Italian bottle that belongs comfortably at the table.
Address: 167 Riddiford Street, Newtown, Wellington 6021, New Zealand
Moved or closed? Tell us: Moved·Temporarily closed·Permanently closed
Cicio Cacio Osteria Newtown Menu
Aperitivi
SPRITZ
aperol or campari, prosecco, ice, orange, soda
CAMPARI SODA
campari, soda, orange
MARTINI
red or white vermouth on ice
Cocktails
NEGRONI
gin, campari, vermouth on ice
AMERICANO
campari, vermouth on ice
GIN TONIC
gin, tonic water on ice
Beers
On tap: MANABREA italian lager – 16 –; WAITOA wellington craft – 16 –. By can: GARAGE PROJECT BEER – 13 –; PARROTDOG BIRDSEYE HAZY IPA – 13 –. Low alcohol: FUGAZI GARAGE PROGECT (LOW) – 11 –; TINY GARAGE PROJECT (ZERO) – 11 –
MANABREA
italian lager
WAITOA
wellington craft
GARAGE PROJECT BEER
By can
PARROTDOG BIRDSEYE HAZY IPA
By can
FUGAZI GARAGE PROGECT (LOW)
Low alcohol
TINY GARAGE PROJECT (ZERO)
Low alcohol
Sparkling
PROSECCO RIONDO
PROSECCO VALDOBBIADENE
LAMBRUSCO
sparkling red
Rosé
NEGORAMARO
Soft Drinks
SPARKLING WATER
refill
FRUIT NECTARS
GINGER BEER
ARANCIATA/LIMONATA/GRAPEFRUIT
COKE / SPRITE
Vini Bianchi
VERMENTINO ARAGOSTA
Sardegna. light & fresh from a Sardinian beach
GRECO DI TUFO
Campania. dry mineral wine from the Amalfi coast
PECORINO JASCI
Abbruzzo. native grape unique to Abbruzzo, aroma of apricot
CHARDONNAY RADDA
Toscana. round & soft with elegant finish
MANTONICO L’ACINO
Calabria. natural juicy wine, funky & unusual
ETNA BIANCO Benanti
Sicilia. fragrant saline wine from the slope of the volcan
FICO MONTANINO
Toscana. natural orange sauvignon blanc
OCCHIPINTI SP68
Sicilia. natural orange wine, very aromatic and floral
Wines by Glass
Red: HOUSE glass $11 / 1⁄4 lit. carafe $20 / 1⁄2 lit. carafe $39. White: HOUSE glass $11 / 1⁄4 lit. carafe $20 / 1⁄2 lit. carafe $39
HOUSE
Red
CANNONAU
Sardegna. the flagship of Sardinian wines, similar to Garnacha
LACRIMA
Marche. means tear, one of the most aromatic Italian grapes
BARBERA
Piemonte. fresh & bright
MAGLIOCCO CHORA
rustic, deep and natural wine from a forgotten region.
HOUSE
White
VERMENTINO
Sardegna. light & fresh from mediteranenan coast
CHARDONNAY
Toscana. round & soft with elegant finish
ETNA BIANCO
Sicilia. fragrant saline wine from the slope of the volcan
L’ACINO
Calabria. natural juicy wine, funky & unusual
Vini Rossi – Puglia
NEGROAMARO Mastroleo
easy drinking smooth everyday wine, even a rock band
SALICE SALENTINO De Castris
round and soft, an instant classic
PRIMITIVO Tatu
round and soft, passionate
SUSUMANIELLO Li Veli Askos
the donkey that used to carry the grapes, rare grape
PRIMITIVO DI MANDURIA Sessanta
sixty years old vines, for this bold and powerful red.
Vini Rossi – Calabria
MAGLIOCCO Chora
rustic, deep and true wine from a forgotten region.
Vini Rossi – Sardegna
CANNONAU Saragat
the flagship of Sardinian wines, similar to garnacha
MONICA DI SARDEGNA Aru
a female grape, deep and silky, amazing wine
CANNONAU 2018 Senes
dedicated to the old people of Sardinia, a wise old wine
Vini Rossi – Campania – Basilicata
AGLIANICO Il Matese
aglianico in purity, body and elegance
AGLIANICO VULTURE Likos
very powerful and structured
TAURASI 2015 Mastroberardino
30 months in barrels and 42 in bottle. Very structured.
Vini Rossi – Toscana
MAREMMA
blend of Tuscan grapes, not the usual Sangiovese
TOSCANA ROSSO Fico Montanino
natural Sangiovese, a true expression of Tuscany
CHIANTI CLASSICO Carleone
if you really want a Chianti make it Classico or nothing
ROSSO DI MONTALCINO Val di Suga
an easier priced Sangiovese Grosso, almost a Brunello
BRUNELLO 2016 Geografico
the best of the best if you love Sangiovese
Vini Rossi – Abbruzzo – Umbria
MONTEPULCIANO Jasci & Marchesani
organic Montepulciano, medium body and delicious
MONTEFALCO 2016 Antonelli
one of the most tannic wine in Italy, rich and powerful
Vini Rossi – Veneto
PINOT NERO Casalforte
italian style pinot noir, vibrant and light
VALPOLICELLA RIPASSO Bixio
a true classic, added pomace of Amarone fermentation
AMARONE 2018 Bertani
the weight and depth of time and tradition
Vini Rossi – Piemonte
BARBERA D’ALBA Riva Leone
piemonte table wine, easy and fruity, imagine the rest
NEBBIOLO Orbello T.Sella
very bright and elegant
BARBARESCO 2017 Riva leone
great vintage wine at amazing price
BAROLO 2018 Giacomo Fenocchio
long maceration, indigenous yeast, savoury notes, a top
Vini Rossi – Trentino – Alto Adige
TEROLDEGO Lezer Foradori
extremely light and fruity from the Dolomites
TEROLDEGO 2019 Sgarzon Foradori
very mineral, natural expression of a single vineyard
Vini Rossi – Sicilia
NERO D’AVOLA Mimi Caruso
cherry notes and ruby color, a classic sicilian
FRAPPATO/NERO D’AVOLA Sp68
Arianna Occhipinti first natural wine, aromatic, floral
ETNA ROSSO Girolamo Russo
from the slope of a volcan from a musician winemaker
FRAPPATO Occhipinti Il Frappato
rebelous, brave and original, Occhipinti personal wine
Vini Rossi – Marche
LACRIMA Giovanni Giusti
means tear, one of the most aromatic Italian grape
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