When Alessandro Pavoni of Ormeggio at The Spit declared his new waterside restaurant at Crown Sydney to be a return to the glamorous, service-oriented dining rooms of the past, the words "Oh dear" came to mind. The last thing we need, I thought, is a big, expensive, pretentious restaurant. Certainly, a'Mare is big, with two levels of dining (downstairs is best) and a broad terrace laid out before the bay views across to Balmain. At last count, the floor staff numbered 100 and they're still hiring. If you're not careful, you'll be greeted by four different smiling people at the door, and escorted to your table past white-suited bartenders who call out cheery greetings.