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There is a particular hush that settles over Broome as the sun dips behind the dunes at Cable Beach. Down a torch-lit path past frangipanis and paperbarks, you’ll find Cichetti, the flagship Italian at Cable Beach Club Resort—a place lending the tropics a taste of the Tyrrhenian Sea. Broome is about as far as you can get away from Melbourne and remain on the Australian mainland, a four and a half hour flight direct puts you up on the Western tip and closer to Indonesia than Australia’s larger cities.
Ambience >
Cichetti’s dining room is a portrait of semi-formal ease. Think: softly glowing lanterns, polished marble, and the occasional flash of resort-wear linen. Staff move smoothly, alternately invisible and present, as if choreographed to the beat of lazy ceiling fans. There is a touch of the old world about it, but without any fussiness. Staff are largely European travellers and bring a sense of culture alongside the professional (and warm) hospitality.
The room is styled with a mix of Balinese wood and modern European wine cellar on display. Candles light the room and set the mood, couples cling to their corner tables for a last Aperol as the sky turns from orange to lilac.
Food >
Start with bread: house-made, still warm, punctuated by peppery olive oil—a quietly confident opening. The menu walks confidently between classic and contemporary, anchored by handmade pastas, a floral local barramundi, and a smoke duck dish that has to be shared and has built its own fanbase amongst returning guests. Three-course set menus are the norm here, coaxing you into a slow, deliberate meal. The risotto—often maligned in lesser hands—lands creamy, precisely seasoned, neither too stiff nor too slack.
Stand out for me was the Margaret River Beef Short Rib Ragu Pappardelle – the flavour was just outstanding and the pasta silky smooth, but talking to the team the home made Tortellini with Paspaley Pearl Meat is the house dish and one that is most often ordered (personally I am going back for the duck).
Wine >
The wine list is excellent with a good selection of Australian and Old World premiums. There a few WA ring-ins and the mark up per bottle is reasonable. Staff have tasted the bottles and know which Amarone pairs best with the evening light. Decent by-the-glass selection for those who would rather drift from Chardonnay to a sanguine Barbera as the meal unfolds.
With selections like By Farr, Farrside Pinot Noir or the Adriano et Marco Basarin Barbaresco Riserva you will find it hard to choose which you prefer, so go back and try both!
Service >
Unforced, watchful, even when the room begins to fill. This level of hospitality professionalism for a resort restaurant is unexpected and most welcome. Staff respond with warm charm, and a genuine effort moving swiftly when its busy and taking time to connect when the pace slows.
Conclusion >
Cichetti Restaurant Broome is a rarity, a remote resort hotel restaurant with excellent food, a quality wine list and warm professional staff. Frankly places like this make the destination and it is a huge win for Cable Beach.
Footnote: We actually ended up eating at Cichetti three times over four days. Not only is it the best restaurant in Broome, it provided food and service the equivalent of some of the best restaurants in Melbourne, Rome, Milan and New York that we have visited. The staff are just wonderful a big call out to Antonina, Julia, Bree, Rodrigas, Genaro (and yes Antonina you won the best waitress over our three nights) but the whole team were outstanding.
#ALMANAKMAGAZINE #CABLEBEACH #BROOME #CICHETTI
Image Credit | ALMANAK & Cable Beach Club Resort
hours | Dinner Seven Days
address |
Cichetti Restaurant
Cable Beach Club Resort & Spa,
Cable Beach Road, Broome WA
instagram | @cichetticablebeach
web | cablebeachclub.com/
