Pasta is familiar, easy comfort food that wraps you in its warm embrace when you need it most—and the best pasta spots in Sydney/Eora certainly know how to plate up the good stufff.
The '70s saw a boom in the Aussie pasta trade as waves of Italian immigrants introduced us to the diverse dish, and we’ve not been able to get enough of it ever since.
Whether you're a traditionalist in search of the perfect carbonara or you're looking for adventurous new-world combinations, these are Urban List's picks for the best pasta in Sydney.
Palazzo Salato
201/203 Clarence Street, Sydney CBD
Image credit: Palazza Salato | Instagram
Palazzo Salato is a CBD trattoria spread across two floors in a heritage building in the CBD above tapas spot Letra House. Fresh pasta is made daily, in long forms like spaghetti, extruded shapes like cavatelli, and delicate filled forms like scarpinocc and agnolotti.
The menu features a favourite mafaldine with spanner crab, uni butter, and sea blight; scarpinocc with ricotta, white asparagus and Espelette pepper; cavatelli with pork sausage in red sauce; and incredible agnolotti dal plin with pork, prune and pistachio. Pair with an Italian wine or chase with an amaro, and you could be in a Roman back street...
Fratelli Paradiso
12-16 Challis Avenue, Potts Point
Image credit: Fratelli Paradiso | Instagram
This Potts Point institution does easygoing neighbourhood vibes, silky house-made pasta, and interesting Italian vinos, and has been a favourite for more than 20 years.
The signature pasta is the spaghetti with roast scampi, cherry tomato, Napoli sauce and shellfish bisque—a masterclass in seafood simplicity—and their lasagne al forno could be the best of its kind in Sydney too.
Bastardo
50 Holt Street, Surry Hills
Bastardo has had quite an impact on the Sydney dining scene already and with legends who brought you Porteño and Bodega behind it, it’s no wonder. The deli-style Italian eatery serves up an extensive list of fresh pasta made in the open-plan kitchen that spans the length of the restaurant. Their pasta is stretchy, with a firm texture while having that melt-in-your-mouth quality—a testament to the craftsmanship. The spaghetti dotted with juicy clams and bursting pockets of nduja in a white wine sauce is a definite go-to, as is the corn agnolotti. The lengthy wine list of Italian-heavy drops is the icing on the cake.
a'Mare
Level 1/1 Barangaroo Avenue, Barangaroo
Image credit: a'Mare | Instagram
Pasta master Alessandro Pavoni gets his first spot on this list with his refined eatery a'Mare in the glitzy Crown Sydney. With serious polish and impeccable service, a’Mare caters to the luxury sensibilities of the Crown’s intended high-roller audience, and serves up some of the best pasta in Sydney.
The spaghetti alla chitarra with Moreton Bay bug, garlic, anchovy, oil and chilli is a silky and indulgent seafood pasta we always go back for, the pesto trofie is finished with the macadamia pesto pounded down tableside, and the paccheri served NSW Eastern Rock lobster, fresh tomato sauce, basil, garlic and chilli is a standout.
Osteria Di Russo And Russo
158 Enmore Road, Enmore
Image credit: Osteria di Russo and Russo | Instagram
Run by two generations of the Russo family, Pino and Marc, Osteria di Russo and Russo feels like being welcomed into a family home—but one where they're cooking seriously good pasta.
While things look and feel traditional, unexpected internationally influenced elements, locally produced versions of Italian staples, and modern combos make the menu a standout. We love the casarecce with spanner crab, sweet corn and kombu; classic mafaldine with pork and fennel sausage, haricot beans and chilli; and spaghetti with prawns, mussel butter, pangrattato and roe. Don't skip a glass of Pino's famous limoncello to finish.
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Kindred
137 Cleveland Street, Darlington
Kindred is the type of place you’ll go past a hundred times and never know what wonders lay inside until someone tells you it’s a must-try.
If you like to leave it up to the experts, we recommend the seven-dish tasting menu for $65 but, you can’t go wrong with any of the house-made pasta dishes. Think enormous bowls of bucatini topped with generous helpings of pork and rich tomato sauce, rigatoni bolognese, and mushroom and ricotta agnolotti.
Ragazzi
1 Angel Place, Sydney CBD
Image credit: Ragazzi | Instagram
Ragazzi is everything you want in a little CBD hideaway, and the final inclusion on this list for pasta primos Love Tilly Group. With 40 seats and a reputation for serving some of the best pasta in Sydney, the place is a seriously hot ticket doing snacks, vino and, of course, plenty of pasta. "There are so many noodle bars around the world—there was no reason there couldn’t be a pasta bar", says co-owner McComas-Williams.
"People can come in for a quick bowl of pasta and a glass of wine, or have a bunch of snacks, a couple of bowls, and a bottle of wine—it’s super accessible in that sense." The pasta options change regularly, giving you plenty of reason to pop in whenever the mood strikes. Expect plenty of non-traditional meat and seafood combos thanks to McComas-Williams' Spanish cooking background.
Ormeggio At The Spit
D’Albora Marinas, Spit Road, Mosman
Ormeggio at the Spit is a gorgeous waterfront venue that happens to be one of Sydney's finest Italian restaurants thanks to the culinary work of Alessandro Pavoni. The menu has been designed to share, so once you've wrapped your head around Ormeggio's divine house-made focaccia, we recommend twirling your fork around the squid ink tagliolini. With handpicked Queensland spanner crab, chilli, and parsley, it's pasta perfection.
Want the same vibe but on a budget? Head to Ormeggio's wallet-friendly, BYO and barefoot offshoot, Chiosco by Ormeggio.
10 William St
10 William Street, Paddington
Image credit: 10 William St | Instagram
Ostensibly a wine bar, this iconic Paddo hole-in-the-wall is another entry from the Fratelli Paradiso crew. At 10 William St, the focus is on good times, good wine, and good food from a broadly Italian-Aussie lean.
If you do want some pasta to go with your wine—as opposed to the other way around—10 William St is the spot to do it. Make sure you check the specials board and begin with the legendary pretzel and whipped bottarga before moving on to the classic spaghetti amatriciana.
Buon Ricordo
108 Boundary Street, Paddington
One of the best Italian restaurants in Sydney, Buon Ricordo is noted for its generous portions, delicious pasta, and impeccable service.
It specialises in old-school, traditional dining and feels like a time capsule of the '80s, complete with floral tablecloths topped with some of the best pasta in Sydney. Their signature dish is the fettuccine al tartufovo (or truffle egg pasta), which is tossed at the table and comes topped with a fried truffle egg. It's so good, even Tom Cruise is a fan.
Paski Vineria Popolare
239 Oxford Street, Darlinghurst
Image credit: Paski | Instagram
Paski is the brainchild of now-shut Italian go-to 121BC and co-founder of Rootstock, Giorgio De Maria, alongside Mattia Dicati (Vino Mito Wine Imports) and chef Enrico Tomelleri (Ragazzi, Alberto’s Lounge, 10 William Street)—just casually.
Downstairs, the walk-in-only wine bar is where you can order by the glass and order cheese, charcuterie and pasta. Upstairs, you'll find a pint-sized restaurant where Tomelleri dishes up a regularly changing menu with some of the best pasta in Sydney and more share-style Mediterranean dishes.
Two Chaps
122 Chapel Street, Marrickville
Image credit: Two Chaps | Website
While predominantly a vegetarian cafe and bakery, this Inner West spot also offers one of the top set menus around come dinner time. Every Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, Two Chaps turns into a pasta haven, offering a set seasonal menu of starters, pasta dishes, and desserts for a reasonable $65 a head. To top things off, these dinners are BYO with a $10 per bottle corkage fee.
Pilu
Moore Road, Freshwater
Nestled into the sandhills at the south end of Freshwater Beach is Pilu. The glass-fronted Sardinian restaurant stretches out over the landscape and has exquisite views of the sand and the sea, particularly at sunset. Handmade nuggets of fresh fregola pasta are the top attraction here for pasta-lovers and are imported from Sardinia where they are toasted to give a nutty flavour to the sharp tomato and creamy rock lobster accompaniments.
I Maccheroni
3 Jersey Road, Woollahra
Image credit: I Maccheroni | Instagram
“I always wanted to have the best pasta in Sydney,” I Maccheroni head chef and owner Marcello Farioli tells us. The ex-10 William Street and Fratelli Paradiso legend moved his locals' favourite I Maccheroni restaurant to Woollahra in 2018 and continues to focus on creating a neighbourhood vibe where you’ll want to dine again and again. Hailing from Emilia Romagna, Farioli serves little parcels of fresh tortelli stuffed with spinach and parmesan, macaroni with beef cheek ragu, and a never-ending rotation of specials.
Pino’s Vino E Cucina
199 Lawrence Street, Alexandria
Image credit: Pino's | Instagram
Matteo Margiotta opened Pino’s in honour of his father, and the small, homey bare-brick restaurant pays homage to his childhood dinners, including the hanging copper pots from his family’s kitchen in Rome. A chef by trade, Margiotta says he wanted to get away from the “stiff and uncomfortable” nature of fine dining and open a place that’s like “going for dinner at your best friend’s house.” He says the key to a good dining experience lies in treating the customer as a friend and recommends first-timers try the five-course chef selection sharing degustation called Let the Italians Feed You. With seasonal ingredients, and a menu that changes constantly, there’s always a good reason to drop in.
Giuls
Shop 1/515 Crown Street, Surry Hills
Beneath bright pink and white striped umbrellas on Crown Street, Giuls is where you want to head when only good vibes and a big ol' bowl of pasta will do. Cool and casual with a breezy neighbourhood vibe, behind Giuls is Rockpool alumni, Giulia Treuner—so you know it's going to be good.
The menu takes its cues from Tuscan cuisine, using seasonal produce, fresh-as seafood, and, of course, handmade pasta. Think squid ink fettuccine with crab, cherry tomatoes, and chilli; vodka conchiglie, pancetta, and taleggio cheese; and rigatoni with lamb ragu. Pay attention to the nightly pasta specials too, which are where seafood really comes into play.
Alberto's Lounge
17-19 Alberta Street, Sydney CBD
Image credit: Alberto's | Instagram
Tucked away in the back streets at the north end of Surry Hills is Alberto’s Lounge. It’s aptly named for its laidback, cosy vibe, delicious dishes, and extensive wine list. It’s another string in the bow of Anton and Stefan Forte, the brothers behind Restaurant Hubert, Frankie's, The Baxter Inn, and Shady Pines, and is a perfect tucked away spot to down some of the best pasta in Sydney. If you imagine this level of quality and attention to detail applied to pasta, you're not far off.
Civico 47
47 Windsor Street, Paddington
Opening an Italian restaurant in the former Lucio's digs was bold, yes, but Civico 47 pulls it off, with pasta made in the very capable hands of executive chef Matteo Zamboni (Ormeggio, Pilu at Freshwater, Jonah’s)—so it's not your average neighbourhood trattoria. "The menu is all about the flavours, seasonality, and quality of the produce," Zamboni says.
"Simple but skilled transformations of the ingredients combined with a strong Italian influence." If we had to pick just one dish, it'd have to be the mafaldine with king prawns, bok choy, and tomato.
Fabbrica
161 King Street, Sydney; 348 Victoria Street, Darlinghurst; 101 King Street, Newtown
Image credit: Fabbrica | Supplied
The CBD’s Fabbrica Pasta Shop by Love Tilly Group has sprung up in a couple of locations across Sydney, with their epic house-made pasta offerings making the trip too.
The menu changes slightly in each location, but you can expect star pasta dishes including the spaghetti cacio e pepe, mafaldine with nduja and prawns, and tonnarelli with sea urchin, chilli and garlic.
Bootleg Italian
312 Oxford Street, Paddington
If you reckon the best part of a bowl of pasta is the showering of cheese on top, Bootleg Italian is ready to change your mind: this vegan joint does a menu of completely plant-based Italian dishes, including plant-based pastas like a creamy cacio e pepe, classic puttanesca, and vodka sauce-covered rigatoni with optional chilli. Gluten-free vegans are covered with GF pasta options too.
Restaurant Leo
1/2-12 Angel Place, Sydney
Image credit: Restaurant Leo | Instagram
Restaurant Leo is a venture from the minds behind Newtown’s former Oscillate Wildly and LuMi. Tucked down Angel Place’s cobbled laneway in the CBD, it draws inspiration from both of these heritages while managing to be something entirely new.
Hyper-seasonal fare with Mediterranean leanings, it’s a slick wooden-furnished endeavour that caters to the end of week-long lunch or knock-off-work Negroni, but pulls it all off with exceptional style and flair. Try the strozzapreti with pork ragu and broccolini or the spaghetti chitarra with pipis and bottagra.
Buffalo Dining Club
116 Surrey Street, Darlinghurst
Big wheels of cheese are what made Buffalo Dining Club famous, so their signature dish, cacio e pepe is sure to curb any cheesy cravings. The bustling nook, sandwiched between the competing chaos of Kings Cross and Oxford Street, is a welcome reprieve for hungry diners in need of a quick and cheesy fix.
It’s all very communal, with limited seating options making getting to know your neighbours a bit of a requirement, but the food is top-tier and makes for a great Instagram snap when they start wheeling that pasta right in front of you.
Keen for more? Here's where to find some of Sydney's best Italian restaurants.
Main image credit: Fabbrica | Instagram