Where to Go When a Big Bowl of Pasta Is the Only Thing That Will Make You Feel Better

For some of the most simple and delicious Italian fare in Sydney, A Tavola is still one of your best bets. Everything here, from the stunning fit-out to the compact menu, has been carefully thought out.

The Darlinghurst location has a marble communal table that runs from the entrance to the bustling open kitchen, plus copper light fixtures and specials scribbled across blackboards. Pull up a seat and order one of A Tavola’s mood-boosting staples like the rigatoni al ragu or the ricotta and spinach agnolotti, or pick something off the constantly changing specials menu. Round out the evening with the signature cremino al cioccolato, a delightful little coffee cup filled with chocolate cream, Italian meringue and a salty caramel gelato, and you’ll be sailing home on cloud nine.

Image: Nikkie To.

This intimate restaurant is perfect when you want to mope over delicious food and great drinks in a beautiful space. The relaxed al fresco interior — mismatched chairs, dark wood tables and a ceiling hung with luscious foliage — makes you feel a bit like you’ve escaped reality and landed in a romantic corner of Italy.

Add in the excellent Italian food, and it will be hard to believe you’re still in Balmain. The generous serves of pasta include standouts like the black garlic and chilli spaghetti with stracciatella, and the green tagliolini teaming prawns with asparagus, cherry tomatoes and scampi. Drinks-wise, the cocktail list is short, simple and satisfying, while the wine menu boasts an eclectic collection of affordable Aussie and Italian numbers served by the glass.

Flour Eggs Water is all about high-quality, handmade pasta. At their unpretentious Surry Hills and Tramsheds spots, you can be sure that the meal you’re stuffing into your pie hole has been prepared with only the freshest, seasonal ingredients: it’s comfort food at some of its most wholesome.

The delightfully compact menu features standouts like a chicken, pea and mascarpone gnocchi, and the hearty beef pappardelle with red wine, tomato and horseradish. As for the vino, there’s a meticulously curated selection of preservative-free local and Italian wines on tap. Another thing we love about this place? They offer cooking classes so when another crappy day strikes, you’ll be well-equipped to make your own luscious bowls of mood-boosting pasta at home.

Image: Nikki To.

This tiny Enmore osteria dishes up some of the neighbourhood’s best Italian-inspired food, and it does so in a Godfather-esque setting. Not only is the food eccellente, but the quirky décor — menus pasted into vintage books and faintly tacky paintings covering the walls — will provide a temporary distraction from your woes.

While the constantly-changing menu features all sorts of delights, if you’re in the mood for pasta you certainly won’t be disappointed. Perhaps you’ll happen upon a squid ink tagliolini with mussel butter and crab, or a dreamy lamb ragu gnocchi finished with goat curd. On the drinks side of things, there’s a great list of Italian wines to satisfy any craving.

Image: Katje Ford.

This Paddington favourite is definitely a wine bar above all else, as suggested by the massive list chalked up near the front. But the Italian fare that the talented chefs are rustling up in the kitchen is certainly nothing to sneeze at.

 First, squeeze into the teeny tiny space and pull up a seat at the bar, where the staff will be more than happy to help you navigate the overwhelming wine selection. Once you’ve picked out a glass, turn your full attention to the menu, where you’ll find stellar pasta dishes like the prawn and pistachio tagliolini, or strozzapretti starring ricotta and zucchini. The cosy interior is blessedly free of pretension, with white walls and naked lightbulbs — the kind of place you won’t want to leave. So, extend your stay for a bit longer with the perfectly-executed tiramisu and another glass of vino.

For rustic Italian food in a minimalist Surry Hills setting — think concrete, marble and the requisite blackboard menus — Baccomatto Osteria is where you need to be. With a commitment to making almost everything on the menu by hand, the food here feels like an elevated version of nonna’s specials. Aka, it’s exactly what you need when you’re feeling blue.

 The bucatini carbonara with cured pork cheek and the rigatoni with slow-braised ox tail ragu are particularly delicious. But whatever you choose as a main, don’t leave without getting at least one thing off the dessert menu. Featuring beautifully executed Italian staples — like the vanilla pannacotta topped with mixed berries — the sweets are a bravado finish to an excellent meal. It’s also worth noting that the Italian wines here are quite well-priced, so you can drown your sorrows in a couple of glasses without putting too much of a strain on the old wallet.