When dining out, there’s one cuisine that’s almost guaranteed to please all. We are, of course, talking about Italian. Whether your go-to order is a classic pizza or pasta, or you wanna get fancy with salads, olives, anchovies, and more; there’s something about Italian food that never fails to satisfy—especially when it’s enjoyed out with family or friends.
As Sydneysiders will surely know, Sydney is rich in top-tier Italian, with trendy hotspots (hello, Totti’s) and low-key eats dotted across the city.
Scroll on for the Cosmopolitan Australia edit of the best Italian restaurants Sydney has on offer.
six best italian restaurants in sydney...
01
Ormeggia at The Spit
Location: D’Albora Marinas, Spit Rd, Mosman
For a serious splash-out, this light-filled restaurant looking out over the marina at Mosman is an essential Sydney dining experience, reminding guests with casual confidence that this town is one of the most beautiful major cities in the world. Seafood done the Italian way is the star of the show here, with the best of Australia’s aquatic delicacies on offer paired with bright, fresh, seasonal ingredients and prepared with top-shelf Italian technique. Pair it with a drop of Scicillian white from the extensive wine list or a classic cocktail from the marble-topped bar and you’re in for a seriously good time.
02
Fratelli Paradiso
Location:12-16 Challis Avenue, Sydney
For nearly 25 years, brothers Giovanni and Enrico Paradiso, both career waiters, have been committed to providing true Italian hospitality and impeccable service to the residents of Potts Point in a fun and casual atmosphere. Open all day from noon to 11pm every day except Sunday (lunch only), you can really settle in here at a sidewalk table with a paper and a bottle of brilliant Italian orange wine. These days chef Trisha Greentree is bringing her unique style to bear on the Italian classic menu giving new life to this true Sydney classic.
03
Pellegrino 2000
Location: 80 Campbell St, Surry Hills
One of the newest additions to Sydney’s Italian dining pantheon, this little Surry Hills trattoria does Italian with a twist. Settle into the wonderfully retro dining room for delights like fish crudo with white soy and olive oil or a classic Rigatoni Carbonara presented perfectly al-dente with guanciale, pecorino and black pepper. It’s the kind of place where nostalgic comfort and effortless Surry Hills cool come together perfectly.
Oh, and it’s already Taylor Swift-approved! The singer, alongside her friend and former support act Sabrina Carpenter, stopped in during the Australian Eras Tour run.
04
Bar Vincent
Location: 174 Liverpool Street, Sydney
Occupying one of the gorgeous Victorian corner buildings that gives Darlinghurst so much of its character, this little restaurant is the kind of place that makes you feel instantly at ease with warm lighting and dark polished wood. The menu changes frequently depending on what’s in season and what the many producers they work with directly can provide week to week. Expect those ingredients to be treated with care and respect, allowed to shine with classic, unfussy preparations that hit the spot every time.
05
Otto Ristorante
Location: 6 Cowper Wharf Roadway, Woolloomooloo
For alfresco dining in true Sydney fashion, don’t walk past Otto in Woolloomooloo, where big tables piled high with towers of fresh seafood spill out onto the wharfside. And while the fruits of the sea are front and centre here, not everyone at the table has to love eating our fishy friends, with plenty of other top-notch options like gnocchi Campidanese with pork sausage and saffron ragu or a dry-aged Wollemi duck breast with parsnip purée and cherry jus.
06
Totti's
Location: 6 Cowper Wharf Roadway, Woolloomooloo
Totti’s may be one of the most talked about Italian restaurants Sydney is home to—but rest assured, its popularity is justified. The Merivale venue is out the back of a classic Bondi pub, The Royal, and home to an array of delicious antipasti, pastas and meat dishes. We can never go past the flat bread (it’s puffy, flaky, oily and salty in all the best ways) with burrata or creamy vodka pasta.
