Acquafresca by Pilu

Overview

Sister to Pilu at Freshwater, the Acquafresca by Pilu is a local take on the coastal trattorias of Italy, complete with al fresco dining, a share-friendly food offering and some primo waterfront views. It's also has significantly cheaper prices than Pilu at Freshwater, so it's a way to experience Pilu's renowned fare with burning a hole through your pocket.

The menu features a hefty antipasti offering with burrata and candied tomato crostini, and a bite-sized assembly of mortadella, farinata and pickled fennel. Add a drop or two from the strong list of both Italian and local pouring wines and you've got yourself an ideal after-work scenario.

Deeper in, you'll find freshly rolled pasta — think pumpkin gnocchi with burnt butter, sage and truffle pecorino — along with a handful of mains and pizzas, made on dough proved in-house for 48 hours. Local beers and a crop of classic-leaning cocktails and spritzes round out the beachside fun.

The restaurant is located inside the new Harbord Diggers, a $160 million dining and entertainment precinct in the northern beaches. Run by the Mounties Group, and replacing the former club overlooking Freshwater and Curl Curl Beach, the precinct is home to a slew of bars and restaurants — including Acquafresca, Teddy Larkin's Seafood and Steakhouse, pan-asian eatery WaterDragon and a new Harbord Diggers Bar — childcare facilities and a new senior living residences called Watermark Freshwater.