The 5 Best Italian Restaurants in Sydney That Had Us Yearning for Our Own Meet-Cute!
Admit it. When you picture a classic candlelit dinner, what dishes usually come to mind? There’s a good chance you imagined some nice pasta, maybe a caprese salad, and a bottle of wine. All Italian fare, right?
It’s not hard to see why. Italian cuisine has brought us various staples of modern eating, whether it’s the classics like pizza and pasta or specific cheeses like Pecorino and Gorgonzola. With so many options, it’s easy to find stuff for every diner out there!
So whenever my friends and I find ourselves stuck in our usual “Where should we eat?” debate, we often go with Italian.
We’ve spent a lot of our nights exploring Italian restaurants in Sydney. And after plenty of taste-testing, here are our favorites!
How much does it cost to eat at an Italian restaurant in Sydney?
Going for a meal at an Italian restaurant in Sydney can cost you anywhere from $20 to $155 per person, depending on the accompaniments like wine and starters, and the courses ordered for the meal.
1. Alba Italian Restaurant
Address: 304-308 King St, Newtown NSW 2042
Contact Details: +61 403 398 918, [email protected]
Operating Hours:
- Monday to Thursday: 5:00 PM to 9:00 PM
- Friday: 5:00 PM to 10:00 PM
- Saturday: 12:00 PM to 3:00 PM | 5:00 PM to 10:00 PM
- Sunday: 12:00 PM to 3:00 PM | 5:00 PM to 9:00 PM
If you’ve got a hankering for Southern Italian cuisine, you’d be remiss to skip out on the Alba Italian Restaurant. This cozy little spot landed on our radar thanks to the locals of Newtown, and boy, was it certainly a find for us!
On our visit, the place wasn’t particularly packed, but we found the overall ambiance and seating pretty relaxing and comfortable. It was easy to chat with each other even with others around.
Their menu was pretty solid, with a wide range of staples from Salentinian cuisine. We found quite a selection of pasta dishes, which could be paired with sides like homemade focaccia bread or a classic insalata.
They also offer a group and tasting menu, featuring curated sets to make choosing easier. These were pretty reasonably priced, so we settled on their Alba’s Most Loved tasting menu.
One thing we really appreciated was the team’s flexibility with customer requests. A few groups we chatted with noted the team was willing to make adjustments or recommendations for folks with allergies.
One thing we do need to note is that their portion sizes can be on the smaller side, especially for individual dishes. We’d recommend ordering one of their set menus to get a good deal.
Their swordfish is the best
“This restaurant has recently revamped their menu and it is to die for! Must try is the burrata e capacollo as an entree, rago Di polpo for main and the tiramisu for dessert. I have been here previously and their swordfish is the best.”
– Ms. Bianca Carrozzo, Google Review
It was so authentic and felt like I was back in Italy
“What a great place! We had the Monday special $45 all you can eat and made the absolute most out of it. We were so impressed by the food here it was so authentic and felt like I was back in Italy. Personally hadn’t had good Italian in the longest time.”
– Ms. Gina Skapetis, Google Review
2. Primi Italian
Address: 168 Clarence St, Sydney NSW 2000
Contact Details: +61 2 8296 6430, [email protected]
Operating Hours:
- Monday to Thursday: 11:30 AM to 9:00 PM
- Friday: 11:30 AM to 9:30 PM
- Saturday: 11:30 AM to 4:00 PM | 5:00 PM to 9:30 PM
- Closed on Sunday
Look for Italian cuisine in Sydney, and you’re likely to have already heard of Primi Italian. This spot, just on Clarence Street, was quite the hotspot for locals with a craving for gourmet pizza.
Though finding the restaurant itself was easy, it still took us a hot minute to get seated. We’d recommend reserving a table in advance if you’re looking to dine here, since the lines for walk-ins can be long.
What we found when we finally got seated didn’t disappoint, though. Their menu spanned a wide range of Italian staples, from delectable herb bread and prawns for appetizers to gourmet and classic pizza.
We were pleased to find a number of vegan options on the menu, and we don’t just mean the salads. Our group was happy to settle down with their classic vegan pizza and penne arrabiata.
We got to chat with a couple of other customers while waiting for our food, though that wasn’t for too long. The service was pretty quick and timely, and the food started hitting our table quicker than our whole wait to get in!
Their portion sizes were pretty reasonable. Our group didn’t order too many dishes, but what we got from some appetizers, a main course, and a pizza was already pretty filling.
Every dish tasted authentic and perfectly prepared
“The food was incredibly fresh and full of flavor, every dish tasted authentic and perfectly prepared. The pasta was cooked to perfection, and the ingredients were clearly high quality. The staff were warm, attentive, and made us feel very welcome.”
– Mr. Masoud Masoumi, Google Review
Hands down the best service
“If you’re searching for a place with great Italian food and hands down the best service I’ve ever got to experience, go here. Every single waiter/waitress is extremely kind, the food is delivered quick, even when the restaurant is quite full.”
– Mr. Vinzenz Huber, Google Review
3. Macchiato
Address: Shop 2/338 Pitt St, Sydney NSW 2000
Contact Details: +61 2 9262 9525, [email protected]
Operating Hours:
- Monday to Thursday: 5:00 AM to 10:00 PM
- Friday: 5:00 AM to 11:00 PM
- Saturday: 5:30 AM to 11:00 PM
- Sunday: 7:00 AM to 10:00 PM
To be honest, we almost thought locals were pulling our leg when they recommended this spot. We thought we were visiting a small cafe, but what we found at Macchiato was an Italian restaurant serving both pizza and coffee!
There was a line when we first arrived, but it moved pretty quickly. We didn’t have to wait much before we were being ushered into the restaurant. Given our group size, this was pretty great.
What was even more convenient was the large dining space. There was plenty of seating available inside the restaurant, and it wasn’t hard at all to navigate around the space.
Their menu was pretty extensive. Their menu includes Italian straight from their wood-fired oven, like pizzas, wraps, and more. They even had a couple of Aussie classics on there, like beef ribs and oyster.
The servers were pretty friendly and professional when tending to tables too. Getting to chat with our server and with our own group helped pass the time a bit while we waited for food.
That said, there tends to be a long wait between dishes. A few customers we spoke with mentioned long waits for certain meat dishes, such as steaks and ribs.
Service from Max was fantastic
“Apart from the delicious food (both pizza and pasta), the service from Max was fantastic. He shared about how he’s from Italy, and made lovely conversation with us while at our table. Would recommend this for a reasonably priced dinner in the city!”
– Mr. Jonathan Chew, Google Review
We were seated within 15 mins with no booking
“Stopped in for an impromptu dinner at Macchiato. Super busy, but the line moved fast and we were seated within 15 mins with no booking on a busy Friday night. We ordered the Scotch fillet and the Procuitto pizza with buratta.”
– Ms. Jess Lawton, Google Review
4. Grana
Address: Ground Floor/5-7 Young St, Sydney NSW 2000
Contact Details: +61 2 7228 1400, [email protected]
Operating Hours:
- Monday to Saturday: 11:30 AM to 11:00 PM
- Sunday: 11:30 AM to 10:00 PM
Cravings can strike anywhere, and nice restaurants sometimes have to close for prep and whatnot. Luckily, fans of Italian cuisine were more than happy to point out Grana to us as a reliable all-day dining spot!
We were pretty pleased by the range on their menu. Grana offered various options, from breads to seafood and meats. Their pasta dishes were a highlight among customers, with gluten-free options available as well.
That said, we found this menu a little hard to navigate when ordering. We particularly stumbled on portion sizes, especially since we couldn’t identify which dishes came in appetizer sizes and which ones were full main courses.
Fortunately, the staff was pretty helpful. They clarified any inquiries we had. They also offered their own recommendations, taking into account our desired flavors, food sensitivities, and more.
While waiting for our food, we were surprised to learn that the chefs do tableside service at the restaurant! Needless to say, it was pretty engaging watching chefs prepare ravioli in front of customers.
We’d recommend coming here as a group, as their portions tend to be on the big side.
You can really taste the quality of the ingredients
“Absolutely loved the food at Grana. The handmade pasta was perfectly cooked, full of flavour, and you can really taste the quality of the ingredients. The house-made bread was outstanding, and every dish felt thoughtful and well balanced.”
– Mr. Tomy Lim, Google Review
Will definitely be back when next in Sydney
“While all staff I connected with were great, I have to give a shout out to Braden who was exceptional. I was feeling like a pasta and went with his recommendation of the ricotta ravioli. Wow! Just wow! Will definitely be back when next in Sydney!”
– Mr. Mark Setch, Google Review
5. Bellucci Cucina
Address: Upper Podium, 264/278 George St, Sydney NSW 2000
Contact Details: +61 2 9252 5325, [email protected]
Operating Hours:
- Monday: 7:00 AM to 4:00 PM
- Tuesday to Wednesday: 7:00 AM to 9:30 PM
- Thursday to Friday: 7:00 AM to 10:00 PM
- Saturday: 12:00 PM to 10:00 PM
- Closed on Sunday
You know what really goes well with Italian cuisine? Al fresco dining! There’s quite a number around Sydney, but Bellucci Cucina was a particular standout among locals we asked.
Located right in the heart of Sydney’s commercial business district, the restaurant is pretty easy to find. It also has ample parking space for larger groups traveling from outside.
Their menu was pretty extensive. It features a wide range of Italian staples like burrata, pasta, and a staggering selection of pizzas. They also offer alternative menus, including a bottomless menu for consistent refills and a special takeout menu.
The restaurant could get pretty busy, so we had to wait a while for our server to swing by, take our orders, and get our food out to us.
That said, the wait did let us relax in our seats for a while. We were lucky enough to get seated outside, and we appreciated the staff going out of their way to keep the terrace heated so customers wouldn’t get too cold out!
Overall, the restaurant itself was quite relaxed. After getting our food, we had no problems chatting among our group, basking in the ambiance, without feeling rushed out the door. Definitely a space to take friends out for a catch-up.
The service was friendly and attentive
“Excellent food and service. The wood fired pizzas and potatoes were delicious and the service was friendly and attentive. We arrived within 5 minutes of the kitchen closing and they were still happy to serve us! Thank you.”
– Ms. Lauren Shepherd, Google Review
Honestly the perfect way to ease into the weekend
“Sitting outside with the warm breeze, a Di Litchi in hand and pizzas coming out fresh from the oven… honestly the perfect way to ease into the weekend. Loved the vibe, loved the food. The bufalina was fresh, the diavola had the perfect kick.”
– Ms. Chanel Lam, Google Review