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Buon Appetito! The Best Italian Restaurants in Sydney CBD
Grab a vino and prepare to eat your way through this edit of the best Italian restaurants in Sydney CBD.
When the cravings for pasta, pizza, ragu or melt-in-your-mouth tiramisu hit, consider yourself lucky to live in Sydney. We’re not only spoiled with Italian restaurants, but here’s a spot to suit every mood; whether you want to eat by the water or underground, are after cheap and cheerful, or vibes aplenty or an intimate romantic date night spot…
From old-school Italian to modern mash-ups, here’s where to go for the best Italian restaurants in Sydney.
The Best Italian Restaurants in Sydney: CBD
Osteria Luna
Step into Osteria Luna, Sydney’s new underground Italian spot where old-school glamour meets cinematic swagger. Tucked beneath The Charles Brasserie & Bar, the 106-seat osteria serves elevated Italian classics with a playful theatrical twist, from tableside caprese and Conchiglie al Forno to late-night pasta and a signature Italian meatball burger. By day, enjoy cult-style Muffalettas and frozen limoncello coupes rung in by silver bell, while evenings come alive with velvet-clad waiters, silver tray service and backing tracks of Italo disco and Rat Pack classics. With design, wine and hospitality all dialed to the max, Osteria Luna is a moody and immersive Italian experience that will no doubt become a fast favourite.
Don’t Miss: The Caprese salad which is freshly made table-side and filled with juicy tomatoes and delicious herbs. Yum!
Underground, 68 King St, Sydney NSW 2000
Palazzo Salato
Palazzo Salato is one of our favourite haunts for Italian feasting. The 120-seat venue is brimming with kitchen space which means a huge variety of unique hand-shaped pasta, grilled meats and more. Diners have the choice of the walk-in-only bar and the dining room, with interiors inspired by traditional Italian trattorias (that’s a relaxed Italian eatery to you and I). A 500-strong wine list rounds out the offering.
201/203 Clarence Street, Sydney
Kindred
Kindred serves up wholesome Italian fare reminiscent of a bygone era — no fuss yet plated to perfection. Begin with warm sourdough and cultured butter, travel through entrees, mains and pasta and end with something sweet. The pasta is the real standout so if you’re a pasta fiend, you’ll be thrilled when you’re treated to lesser-known goodies like bucatini and cauliflower cappellacci.
137 Cleveland Street, Darlington
Lucio Pizzeria
A proud member of the AVPN, the highest pizza honour, Lucio’s Pizzeria is a firm favourite for pizza and pasta lovers alike. Lucio’s is helmed by only the most accomplished Pizzaioli, flipping fresh pizza from the woodfire oven and serving up rustic dishes like crab pasta, veal saltimbocca and polpette al sugo.
248 Palmer Street, Darlinghurst
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a’Mare
a’Mare beckons with the charm of Italy at the picturesque Barangaroo waterfront. Acclaimed chef and restaurateur Alessandro Pavoni, in his quest to revive the lost art of gueridon or trolley service, has brought a touch of Venice and Milan to a’Mare. Dishes are thoughtfully finished tableside with utmost care and attention — a nod to the rich traditions of Italian dining.
From the mouthwatering Wagyu beef tartare to the tableside preparation of trofie al pesto, each dish is a story from the chef’s childhood in Northern Italy retold through flavours. A 15-page wine list complements the menu, featuring wines from Australia to Italy, premium spirits and cocktails.
Crown Sydney, Level 1/1 Barangaroo Avenue
Paski Vineria Popolare
Paski does it all. A bar and bottle shop make up the ground floor, serving some of the best bar snacks in Sydney with oysters, pancetta-wrapped muscles, meats and cheeses as well as inventive Italian wine and local wines.
Upstairs at Paski Sopra (literally Paski above), you can find a rich a la carte menu in the intimate brick-lined space which looks down over the hustle and bustle of Oxford Street. Expect inventive starters such as the incredibly moreish tapioca and asiago fritti drizzled in chestnut honey, followed by handmade pastas, beautifully paired with delicious drops from the infamous Paski wine cellar.
239 Oxford Street, Darlinghurst
Club Fontana
Club Fontana‘s menu is hard to define and best classified as Italian meets Australiana. Picture kangaroo tail stepping in for ox tail in dishes. The dining room is light-filled with a mural and a bar and gives off an effortlessly cool vibe that truly befits the suburb they call home. The menu rotates regularly with dishes on deck for a good time not a long time. Think house-made ricotta, seafood carpaccio roo ragu paccheri, cotoletta milanese and a traditional dessert range with cannolo, gelato, biscotti and more.
133a Redfern Street, Redfern
Flaminia
Flaminia, the Pilu team’s lively harbourside restaurant at Circular Quay, is inspired by Italy’s bustling port towns. The menu leans into seafood crudo, coastal pasta, Sardinian signatures and sun-drenched dolci; all served with that effortless, generous style the Pilu family is known for. The restaurant’s name honours the ship that first carried the Pilu family to Australia, and that sense of travel, connection and tradition runs through everything from the wine list to the gently Mediterranean interiors. Given its envious position, the venue is perfect for a harbour-lit spritz or settling in for a long lunch that drifts into the evening.
61 Macquarie Street, Sydney
Vin-Cenzo’s
Offering a quality late-night option for Sydneysiders, Vin-Cenzo‘s is open until 2am on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights. Warm lighting, walnut timber and burgundy leather upholstery gives off a cosy, lived-in feel.
Expect an Italian leaning menu with broader European influences — think roasted chicken and mortadella agnalotti in brodo, veal t-bone with shimeji mushroom and marsala and plates of Italian biscuits. As for beverages, Italian, French and Australian wines dot the menu, alongside Italianesque cocktails. What a place to while away an evening!
174 Liverpool Street, Sydney
Pellegrino 2000
This Surry Hills gem has been a favourite from the day it opened its doors. Serving classic Italian dishes with a modern flourish and plated to retro perfection, this spot is the place to be. Taylor Swift was even spotted dining in a cosy nook at Pellegrino 2000 when she visited Sydney on her Eras tour. Anything from the curated menu is a safe bet from the crumbed pork cutlet to the prawn gamberi.
80 Campbell Street, Sydney
10 William St
Tucked away in a Paddington terrace, this chic wine bar-slash-restaurant is perfect for date nights and catch-ups with friends. Run by the Fratelli Paradiso brothers, 10 William St gives its chefs room to experiment. The result is an ever-evolving menu that’s Italian, with an Australian and/or Asian twist. Order the gnocchi and a glass of red — ask the staff to find your perfect pair — and finish with the fluffy tiramisu.
10 William Street, Paddington
Fratelli Paradiso
When a menu is written only in Italian, you know the restaurant means business. That’s the case at Fratelli Paradiso, a local institution that’s all about authentic food and imported wine to match. It’s open for breakfast, lunch and dinner (a rarity!), but we suggest making it your last stop of the day so you can feast on calamari, prawn risotto and ricotta nettle ravioli at your leisure.
Sitchu Tip: Say yes to the chocolate mousse with berries, balsamic and brown sugar meringue.
12-16 Challis Avenue, Potts Point
Civico 47
Paddington mourned when Lucios’ shut their doors after four decades but, luckily for the locals, Civico 47 stepped in to take their place. Helmed by Chef Matteo Zamboni, formerly of Ormeggio, Pilu at Freshwater and Jonah’s, Civico 47 is a light-filled dining space with a cosy bar and a Mediterranean feel. The menu is refined yet accessible which is perfect for its suburban location.
47 Windsor Street, Paddington
Neptune’s Grotto
Tucked a few streets back from top romantic promenade, Circular Quay, Neptune’s Grotto is a dimly-lit pasta den packed with charm. Another win from the Pellegrino 2000 team, you can expect delicate plates of pasta and endless wine recommendations whilst you snuggle up in a booth or at the marble counter.
Corner of Young Street and Bridge Street, Sydney
Loving our edit of the best Italian restaurants in Sydney and keen to continue your culinary journey. Why not check out the best French restaurants in Sydney or the best Japanese restaurants in town. Or if you’re keen to see something new, check out the best new restaurants opening in Sydney this year.
