Holiday cravings can strike at any time, including when an overseas getaway couldn't be further from your agenda. That's where faking it till you make it comes in. Trick your tastebuds into believing that you're far away from home and, even if only while you're eating and drinking, that feeling will sink in temporarily.
Here's one way to achieve that effect: by tucking into pizzas and spritzes on the piazza at Potts Point restaurant Cafe Giorgio. The quaint spot aims to conjure up an authentic Italian atmosphere right in the heart of Sydney, with considerable help from its lineup of slices, cheese-heavy antipasto options, gelato and cocktails.
Culinary highlights include anchovies paired with semi-dried tomatoes on crackers ($18), pork hock croquettes ($8 each) and fried artichokes ($7 each), as well as an 11-variety pizza menu ($20–24) and a ricotta, basil, cherry tomato, mozzarella and rocket-stuffed calzone ($22). Or, if there's one way to send your palate to the Mediterranean, it's with a hearty serving of caccio e pepe ($26) or duck ragu ($28).