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Italian

Pizza Madre

Here’s to the end of 2020 (well, at the time of writing anyway)! Although I can’t speak definitively for everyone, I’m pretty sure most people absolutely cannot wait to bid goodbye to this strange and uncomfortable year. And what better way is there to celebrate the end of this long, hard slog than with a pizza party? I don’t have a whole lot in the way of pizza options around my place, but a quick 20 minute drive towards the city gets me to Pizza Madre, which consistently makes its way onto best-of lists, despite being an entirely vegetarian operation. And although its name suggests something familiar and cosy, Pizza Madre is less of a mother, and more of an…

27/01/2021

European, Italian, Just A Bit Special ($20-$35), Marrickville, Pizza, Vegetarian

Buffalo Dining Club

I’ve said it before, and although it feels a little bit wrong, I’ll say it again – one good thing about Covid is that restaurants that didn’t used to take bookings have now started to do so. Although I’m not unfamiliar with waiting in line for a spot at a good restaurant, it’s definitely nicer to be able to have a table guaranteed before you get there. And if I were to be entirely honest, that reluctance to spend potentially hours in line (plus how much of a pain Sydney is to get around, but that’s a whole other story) is one of the reasons why I’ve yet to visit Buffalo Dining Club. Because on paper, it is everything I…

25/11/2020

Best Of Sydney, Darlinghurst, European, Impress Your Date ($35-$50), Italian, Wine Bar

Bistecca

Bistecca was originally going to be my birthday dinner this year, but then, y’know, Covid happened. Thankfully once the worst of the first wave was over, not only did Bistecca reopen quick-smart, they also started accepting bookings for groups of any size. This was extremely good news, because apparently smaller parties used to have to show up at 4pm to scribble your name on a piece of butcher’s paper on the door, and hope you get a call sometime later that night.

16/09/2020

Best Of Sydney, European, Hatted, Italian, Mr. Moneybags ($50 Plus), Steakhouse, Sydney CBD

Bar Pesta

I love fusion cuisine. When done right, it is such a great opportunity for innovation and excitement, and often offers up new flavour combinations that I never could have thought of, yet leaves me wondering why more people haven’t jumped on board already. Unfortunately, fusion is often done… not right, and you end up with some weird and not-very-wonderful things, such as tuna carpaccio topped with parmesan. However, when it comes to Bar Pesta, I’ve heard nothing but good things about its Asian-fusion pasta dishes, so it seemed like a pretty good bet for a low-key date night.

19/08/2020

Asian, Fusion, Italian, Just A Bit Special ($20-$35), Surry Hills, Thai, Vietnamese

GPO Pizza by Wood

I had dinner today at GPO Pizza by Wood. I came across it last-minute when I had a 4pm craving for pizza, but was unwilling to travel very far for it. I know, I like having my pizza and eating it too. Although the restaurant gave off the impression of a rather classy restaurant, the reality didn’t stretch quite that far. It’s situated in the basement level of the GPO building amongst another cluster of eateries, and together with communal seating, formed a slightly more upscale version of a food court that backed up onto a bar area. Its website proudly boasts a reputation as the best pizza in the Sydney CBD, and whilst I’m not completely sold on that…

17/06/2020

Cheapie Lunch (Under $20), European, Italian, Pizza, Sydney CBD

Ragu Pasta and Wine Bar

When I lived in Melbourne, I loved having after-work pasta dates at Grossi Cellar Bar. The casual yet cosy (not to mention convenient!) location, the simple but refined menu, and the comfortable prices made it just about the most ideal location for a mid-week date. Unfortunately, the Sydney pasta scene has so far failed to thrill me, and two years later, I’m still trying to find that place for a quick bowl of good pasta. When I first came across Ragu Pasta and Wine Bar, I was actually pretty reticent to try it. Being a food court restaurant, I wasn’t convinced at how authentic the experience would be, regardless of how much Italian they include on the menu. What finally…

18/03/2020

Cheapie Lunch (Under $20), European, Italian, Sydney CBD

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