Turi is a warm and welcoming Sicilian bar, cafe and restaurant in the undercroft of the Grenfell Plaza – aka the Black Stump – an area that was previously home to old-school sandwich shops and delis.

Turi has added a lot of character to this regenerated little restaurant zone, and is a nice complement to another recent Italian addition to the Black Stump’s basement – the rather slick Borsa Pasta Cucina (reviewed in these pages recently).

The style is rustic/eclectic: bentwood chairs, a bare industrial ceiling hung with lights, lots of raw wood, and a bit of pop art thrown in.

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The menu is extensive: Turi wants to be the place you’ll come for breakfast, a mid-morning coffee, lunch or dinner on a Friday night. It is focused on authentic Sicilian food and dishes with a Sicilian twist, overseen by owner Salvatore La Pira, whose family hails from the Italian island.

For a city that’s obsessed with Italian food, Turi offers a few welcome rarities. Sicilian almond milk is on the drinks menu, the cannoli di ricotta is filled only to order, and the meatballs (see below) are spiced with cumin and cinnamon.

Favourite menu items: For a warming lunch, the slow-braised meatballs are lovely either by themselves or served with pasta. The spices are complemented by the sweetness of raisins; the combo of pork and beef is coarse yet tender; and the sauce is bright and sunny. Other likely options include porchetta, the very Sicilian pasta norma (eggplant and tomato), and cotoletta (rosemary and parmesan-crumbed chicken with a Sicilian-styled coleslaw).

Something light: Turi has snacks and light lunches well covered. It serves a range of focaccias (caponata, Italian tuna and Sicilian sausage are among the options), small bites (anchovies, olives, etc), and arancini (Sicilian rice balls served with different sauces, including ragu and peas). They also do a steady trade in the rare and interesting panelle – crispy chickpea flour fritters.

Sweets: Turi imports uncooked and frozen cornettos from Italy, and then bakes then fresh daily with crema or nutella. As noted above, the cannoli is also very authentic – the advantage of filling these mottled beauties to order is that they keep their crispiness. Don’t even attempt to share.

Drinks: The wine list is short but includes a handful of excellent Sicilian whites and reds; the Italian beer list includes Sicilian Messina. Coffee is a focus, and includes a Sicilian almond milk latte. You can sample beer and wine for $5 a glass on Fridays during Turi’s long happy “hour” between 3pm and 7pm.

Turi
3/25 Grenfell Plaza, Adelaide
Phone: 08 8212 3999