Love love loved this place…read more Sunday sessions with a live band in the back courtyard. Greeted upon entry by the staff who had his hands full w on his way to deliver food to a table. I had to tell him to attend to what was in his hands before me. I like that. Not ignored just because they are doing something. To be greeted with Buonesera was a bonus!! True Italiano!! The front footpath tables, the indoor seating and the courtyard out the back provided totally different atmospheres. The staff were attentive, yet easy going. Felt right at home and even though it is on the side on pricey, don't mind paying the price for such a great ambience, and the way the staff made you feel. Enough to tend to the customer so that you can enjoy a true dining experience and the company you're in. Noticed the other patrons were Italian with family groups as well as couples. Not sure how long this place has been around, but it certainly ticks all the boxes of a good place that never fails to deliver. I'm all about the energy and this place has the right energy!!

This is an interesting one... I went here with a group of friends not knowing where we were going…read moreand what to expect. It was "Mad Monday" so $20 for all you can salad and pizza ($10 for kids under 12). Waiters come around to your table offering you different pizzas and give you one slice of each if you want it. When we told them that 3 of us were vegetarians they seemed openly annoyed by the inconvenience and nonetheless offered us every pizza with chorizo, prawns and ham on it... When we wanted some more tap water for our table my friend saw a tray full of bottles and brought one over to us. A waiter then angrily came up behind her and without a word grabbed the bottle from her hand, ignoring her apology for taking it herself and took it away. He also yelled "hey" at a customer who almost bumped into him on their way to the bathroom. All in all the staff was incredibly rude and did not look after us at all checking for drinks etc. Two stars because the food itself was good and maybe mad Monday is an exception for them but I won't be back.

So cute , awesome drinks and great service. Super cozy and great appetizers. Definitely a must…read morevisit and in a great area

Our meal was uneven, but the highlights made it worthwhile…read more We started with snapper crudités. The fish had skin attached. Since it was sashimi, the skin should have been removed prior to serving. It was flavorful with a light sauce and small pieces of roe. Next we tried the pappardelle with goat ragu. This was a masterful dish with fresh al dente pasta, and goat meat that was free of bone and gristle, fully developed and tender. We also had the Brussels sprouts that were equally successful, with a rich dressing, and some crunch from chopped nuts. Our last item was a pasta dish featuring cherry tomatoes, and eggplant. We found it too salty, so we returned it and called it a day. The space was cramped. And I didn't find red Australian wines by the glass which was disappointing. So we left with mixed emotions.

Bottom Line - Simple and delicious Italian food. Lovely atmosphere. Reasonable prices…read more I don't know how we haven't written about Il Baretto sooner. It's been one of our favourite neighbourhood dinner spots since we moved here (nearly a year ago!!). With pastas that are exactly the kind of thing you crave when you want good Italian food - we've never had anything that didn't hit the spot. Nothing too fancy - just bowls of simple and delicious food at a very reasonable price. Our two favourite dishes are the Beef Lasagna and the Duck Ragu - signature dishes that are always on the menu. And you must get the Panna Cotta for dessert, though the Tiramisu is pretty amazing also. Things to note: - Il Baretto is BYO. They don't serve any alcohol at all so hit up the clock bottle shop just one block up on Crown street before hand. - It is also CASH ONLY. There's an ATM inside the Carrington just across the street. - It's also quite small so there is often a wait, but they will take down your number and give you a call when they have a table for you. Go across the street and have a drink at the Carrington while you wait.

Duck Ragu Pappardelle…read more Plus BYO. A local, not too fancy. Just so you know. Come with friends or a lady. Yum. Oh Fosho.

Wow this place was absolutely awesome. The staff were great and the food was delicious. I had the…read moreFrittelle Di Zucchine and it does not disappoint, (pictured below). The coffee was great, but when isn't Toby's Estate! If you're in Paddington and looking for a great little breakfast place then you can't go past this place. A great selection of breakfast choices available to 11:30am which converts to a fully considered lunch menu. I will definitely be returning!

Barbetta was a bright little Italo box as composed and defined as an Italo Calvino short story,…read morealthough The Fairy King was ultimately more satisfying. On a leafy street in Paddington, Barbetta waits to fill up with new Mum's who only have to park a pram instead of a Peugeot or expats who hang their hats there. It's a cute cafe with a display case of Biscotti over looking the owner's Ducati. There is a shelf of kitschy stuff to remind you of your cruise ship stop in Venice or that nostalgic moment before you were asked to leave the Mother Country. 4-tops purchased from a defunct Ice Cream shop dominate the dining room. Actually, the owner, Mauro, dominates the dining room with his dazzling smile and G. Q. cover good looks. Google Peacock and his head shots appear. The Staff: My server was so warm and welcoming it's as if I showed up on his Ancestry.Com leaf. He hovered like a defective drone. The Vibe: Who starts the day there? Locals and wannabe locals all adding to the caffeinated buzz and all styled up for Guiseppi Conte's inauguration. Like a morning in Milan everyone here is dressed like Beppi di Preppy begging the question of who in this hood had a job or needed to bother with one? The next question is what would be the surcharge if anyone returned their clothing to the wardrobe department late? The Bar: There was, of course, Beer and Wine available for breakfast in addition to the more traditional Cappuccino adorned with the obligatory cute little tree in the milk froth. Barbetta is the lil Sis to Cipri, an Italian dinner destination next door. So a change of track suit and/or a child between breakie or lunchie would be required before dinner service for those hangin' here all day, as some do. The Food: Hmmm. As a barnacle on the hull of a well considered restaurant I expected Barbetta to be way bettah. The menu was limited to 11 items most of which were what you'd get in any Bondi Beach cafe. Avocado this and that. The Carbonara Australiana created visions of al dente Fettuccine with Pancetta and two farm fresh Sunnies gracing the top and ready to ease away last night's booze. Alas, that was only in my last night's boozed up head. What arrived was a piece of dry toast with a Frico (a thin fried Pecorino cheese crisp), a soup spoon of uninspired scrambled Eggs and crispy Bacon. It was Canadian Bacon which is actually closer to Ham and as limp as an ED Support Group. Noioso spiacenti! The alternative was the Fritella Di Zucchino which was grilled Zucchini, Ricotta, Buckwheat, Corn, Parmesan, smashed Peas, Pea Sprouts, Mint and little bit of Smoked Sea Trout (which was exceptional). The lovely Trout was over matched by the two disks of filler escaped from a Crab Cake.This dish was essentially a walk-in clean out and better suited to a 10 year old's Birthday party. I ginned it up by asking for two poached Eggs, however, the Yolks could barely crawl let alone run. Yes, it read creative, looked like a sculpture, so Instagram worthy it could've been made of Styrofoam and sadly that's what it tasted like. Please don't ask me how I know what Styrofoam tastes like. Life is filled with high expectations and the stark reality of disappointments. Do you want to begin your day with one? Barbetta...be less hip and getta grip.

Came here on a recommendation from a friend who lived here while completing her studies. The…read morerestaurant is not too big so service is personalized. It's also busy as more customers after us weren't able to get in. Not knowing what's good on the menu, we took AI's suggestion. And AI matched what the server suggested! We got 3 dishes: *Cantabrian anchovy, sourdough, cultured butter *Spaghetti cacio e pepe *Mafaldine, prawns, tomato, kombu butter I loved the mafaldine the most as it has the added texture of pangrattato. I learned later that Pangrattato, or "poor man's parmesan," is a classic Italian topping made by frying coarse, stale breadcrumbs in olive oil with garlic, herbs, and chili flakes until golden and crunchy. I think it's a bit pricey for a small and simple pasta dish. However, I might be comparing this to North American prices.

There isn't enough praise to describe how much we enjoyed our meal at Ragazzi. We sat at the bar…read moreand I highly recommend that. The staff is friendly and engaging and watching the final prep on the food was great fun. We started with an Australian merlot and two local oysters. Both were so good. I had the pumpkin ravioli and OMG they were exquisite. Caramelized pumpkin seeds? Really? The cacio Pepe was just as good. What a delight this meal was. Wish we had leftovers!!

Mama Mia non ci credo its a beautiful setting with lots of artwork on the wall. For a Friday night…read moreearly bird dinner it was a pleasant experience. it's a bit pricey but as you expect to pay for fine dining. it gave me inspiration to travel throughout Italy places like Florence Tuscany Venice & Rome. The anecdote is the food of course paired with a nice glass of wine.

Has always been my favourite restaurant in Sydney, amazing Italian food that is always fresh,…read moredelicious and flavourful. The staff are fantastic and the environment is perfect. I had my 18th birthday family lunch there and I have the best memories from that day thanks to Lucio's.

I'm not sure whether to write this review, or keep this gem secret. I live locally so want to be…read moreable to visit it without it being completely booked out days in advance - hence my hesitation. As the food is SO good and the service is excellent - attentive without being cloying. Probably the best pizza I've had in many year and my husband reckons it does the best Diavalo pizza he's EVER eaten ! You'll need to book, as the word is already out about how good they are. But worth a visit as the food really is fantastic!

Pizza that not only thinks it's good food but is! Let's face…read moreit most pizzas are sh*t. They fill you up but the crust is too heavy. The ingredients aren't the best. Arte Bianca tries to do so much better - and succeeds! Yay. Light crust. Top quality ingredients. You don't get that all the food you can eat pizza experience. I had prosciutto - fan bloody tastic. I love prosciutto - who doesn't? Well besides Jews, muslims, vegetarians and vegans - must have left somebody out. When you offer quality you don't need quantity. Compared experiences with my wife. She loved hers too. Got up from the table with smiles on our faces. Can't ask for more than that.

Had a girls dinner there yesterday after being advised by an Italian friend that this was her…read morefavourite Italian restaurant in Sydney ... And I definitely understand why... Would have given 5 stars (well deserved for the food) - but the service was well below average (unfriendly) so it is a 4. We tried 3 pasta dishes (from 22 to 26$) : risotto with sage, pumpkin and buffala mozzarella, pasta a la vongole and I had cappelletti (pasta filled with cheese) Ai porcini. All 3 were delicious - very authentic as what you would get in Italy. The servings could be a little bigger (cappelletti in particular). At least it gave us the opportunity to try the desserts :-) Nutella tart was the special...and a winner. It was rich so good to be shared but the homemade crust was very well done and the filling has a great strong Nutella taste. I also liked the vibe - nothing fancy, simple busy local restaurant. A refreshing change from all the restaurants in the city, Surry hills etc... I must say :-)

It's about time I wrote a review for my favourite local Italian restaurant. I am surprised they…read morearen't already listed on Yelp as they have plenty of reviews on TripAdvisor! And the fact that the majority of their ratings are 5/5 on TripAdvisor speaks for itself ;) Everything from the service to the ambiance to the food is an A+. All the staff are Italian and they will help you with food/wine recommendations. The pastas are freshly handmade, the wine is beautiful and the prices are very fair. I walked by this restaurant weekly noticing it was always packed yet I had never heard the name before so I finally looked it up on the internet and saw fantastic reviews. It is definitely a local's spot as it is situated in Bondi Junction and most Sydney folks probably haven't heard of it. Everything I have had here is wonderful! Just to list a few - Asparagi in Camicia $13.5 (fresh steamed asparagus wraped in Fontina cheese, Prosciutto & crumbed) -Carpaccio di Manzo $14.5 (Beef carpaccio) -Tagliata di Manzo a peso $11 per 100 g (beef sirloin steak) -ALLLL of their pastas No better way to finish off a great Italian meal with affagato! Do yourself a favour and dine here - you won't be disappointed. Feels like Italy! Note: All 5 photos were taken from the restaurant's fb page - I did not take them.

After coming across a picture of their blue pasta on Instagram, I knew that this restaurant was a…read moreMUST for a traveling foodie!! The spirulina tagliatelle melted in my mouth and the mafalda con ragu was another hit at our table! Will be back next time I am in Aussie!!

Extraordinary food. Excellent wine. Great service. Vinny is the consummate host! We had the…read morearancini, stuffed zucchini blossoms and bruschetta to start. Loved every bite! Lots of vegan options and the pasta mains were all outstanding. A perfect martini was the first sign of great things to come. I don't know how we found room for dessert, but I'm glad we did as they were to die for!

Wow! Yep just WOW! Looks small from the street but once you walk inside, you'll find it warm,…read morewelcoming and several intimate dining rooms that feel homey and comfy. If I have one suggestion for an improvement it would be to get more comfortable seating. We sat upstairs and talked for awhile after we finished our meal and the seating is not very inviting for that...but definitely not enough of a bother to lose a star! My dining companion had the rabbit and said that it was definitely yummy. I ordered the pasta and shrimp, that was excellent, too! We shared the orange and fennel salad, a good choice with an order of garlic bread. As wonderful as the meal was, that's how wonderful our server, Anita, was and on top of her game as she chatted with us, made sure the waitstaff and bussers served orders to the correct patrons. Turns out, Anita is the chef's niece and a very busy, very professional asset to Big Mama's. If you have not been to Big Mama's yet, make sure you do. You can thank me later!

I love late night dining. It reminds of Europe where everything stays open late and you can have a…read morefull meal at 11pm. The exposed brick walls adorned with Italian vintage prints and the simple white table cloths at Big Mama's make for a relaxed, yet sophisticated vibe. We were ushered through the kitchen to a modest outdoor area that feels even more casual. The staff are authentically Italian and you get the feeling this is a family thing. The food is made with love and as we were a group of 8, we ordered entrees and mains. Beautiful tuna carpaccio with sprinkled capers. Bufalina con prosciutto e pomodoro, an Italian imported fresh buffalo mozzarella with tomato, prosciutto and basil. Fritto misto, deep fried calamari, octopus and prawns served with a garlic mayonnaise. For the main I had the Pappardelle con brasato di manzo, home-made pappardelle with braised beef (e21 m 26) or for the more 'cashed up' Linguine con l'aragosta e gamber, linguini with lobster and prawns (39). They have beautiful Australian and Italian wines at such varied prices they suit anyone. That's the beauty of this place, you can make it as cheap or as special as you wish. The gorgeous staff let us gas-bag out the back while they packed up and they even bought us a Limoncello, on the house. Heavenly.