The 25 best Italian restaurants in Australia you need to try

This intimate Sydney CBD pasta spot combines some of the biggest trends of the past five years or so: natural wines, a nascent obsession with amaro, an interest in lesser-seen pasta shapes, a preference for snacking, Spritzes, anchovies and butter. Ragazzi's menu changes often, but richness is a theme, as is good produce and solid technique. The cacio e pepe is a classic that comes with good levels of warmth and sharpness, plus some sweet heat from espelette pepper. 

Where: Shop 3/2-12 Angel Pl, Sydney, NSW

Price: Pasta from $28

Brought to us by the Clam Bar and Pellegrino 2000 team, this Sydney CBD underground cave is the Italian dinner party of your dreams. The menu features hit after hit of Northern Italian classics, plus a whole lotta fun. A gorgeous dish of zucchini alla scapece sees thin slices of zucchini doused in bright vinegar, olive oil, garlic and fresh mint, and we’re still thinking about the chubby green tortellini stuffed with a creamy artichoke and ricotta filling, dressed in a butter sauce and a dusting of truffle.

Where: 4 Bridge St, Sydney, NSW

Price: Pasta from $39

Seating 120 guests, this gorgeous Italian trattoria in Sydney is by far the most ambitious restaurant from the Love Tilly Group, which also has Ragazzi, La Salut, Love, Tilly Devine, and Dear Sainte Éloise under its belt. The menu is full of tasty snacks, like charred artichokes dressed in chilli salsa, parmigiano reggiano and hot honey; and Palazzo ham drizzled with a vibrant and punchy hot sauce. But really, we’re coming here for one thing and one thing only: pasta. Expect house-made regional pasta shapes with perfectly balanced and glossy sauces. 

Where: 201/203 Clarence St, Sydney, NSW

Price: Pasta from $38

This cheery waterfront BYO diner in Mosman is the more casual sibling to the award-winning Ormeggio at the Spit. Chef Alessandro Pavoni and his team have been serving classic Italian hits for a decade now – and it’s still well worth its (sea) salt. Be sure to order its signature vitello tonnato, which features thinly sliced rosy veal topped with a creamy, salty tuna sauce and crisp fried capers.

Where: d'Albora Marina, Spit Rd, Mosman, NSW

Price: Pasta from $31

It’s been some years since gents were expected to keep their jackets on at all times, so it's a point of nostalgia that Grossi Florentino does not shun such formality. That's not to say there's a strict dress code here – the restaurant stopped that in the '90s – but make no mistake: this is a special place and you'll want to prepare for the occasion. The grand Mural Room is one of Melbourne’s last bastions of lavish European dining charm, and every dish the waiters ferry out of the kitchen is a five-star knockout. A true legend in Melbourne's dining scene.

Where: 80 Bourke St, Melbourne, VIC

Price: Pasta from $48

Melbourne’s a town with no shortage of excellent pasta, but most of us can agree: when Tipo 00 hit the scene in 2014, carb lovers were astonished. This iconic laneway locale really is dishing up the crème de la crème of sauced-up carbs, and we don't want it to ever stop. It's named after the finely ground flour used to make pasta and pizza, and was recently named one of the best Italian restaurants in the world. Gorge on stracciatella with fermented honey and grilled ox tongue for starters, squid ink pasta and the puttanesca market fish for mains and then finish on a sweet note with the famous 'Tipomisù'. You'll thank us later.

Where: 361 Little Bourke St, Melbourne, VIC

Price: Pasta from $38

At this refined Italian diner in Carlton, dishes change with the seasons to focus on local quality produce and regionally inspired Italian flavours. Twirl your fork around pappardelle with boar ragu, smoked daikon, candied walnuts and dark chocolate (yes, you read that right), and the crowd favourite since Al Dente’s inception – the tortellini cacio e pepe. The desserts are just as fantastical, with creations like lait e miel (milk and honey) and chocolate, hazelnut, coffee and truffle, playing unique riffs on authentic Italian flavours.

Where: 161 Nicholson St, Carlton, VIC

Price: Pasta from $34

This beloved classic trattoria showcases the traditional cuisine of the Emilia-Romagna region in Italy. Fun fact: Ben Shewry from Attica recently noted it as one of his favourite places in Melbourne for pasta. Dive into the citrusy delights of Amalfi lemon spaghetti with spanner crab, mint, smoked chilli and a light bisque, or go for the heartier mortadella and prosciutto-filled tortelloni with parmesan sauce and aged balsamic vinegar from Modena. You can also now pop in for lunchtime, where the restaurant turns into 'Emilietta' to sling traditional flatbread sandwiches. 

Where: 360 Little Collins St, Melbourne, VIC

Price: Pasta from $39

This chic modern Italian sits prettily on the Brisbane River and puts the luxurious charm of the Amalfi Coast into its clean, modern space and menu. Brick-red striped booths and terrazzo tables host a menu that celebrates the sea. Oysters shine with Massimo’s tomato and limoncello granita, and live lobster and marron from tanks await to be chargrilled with lemon or garlic butter, or tossed through house-made spaghetti. Their $50-a-head banquet menu is fantastic value, with highlights including crispy calamari with nduja (spicy fermented sausage paste) cream, and a perfectly cooked eye fillet.

Where: 123 Eagle St, Brisbane City, QLD

Price: Pasta from $42

Hospitality is at the heart of Angelo and Yuliya Leonforte’s cosy courtyard venue, from the warm service to the comforting gluten-free and vegan pizza and pasta options. Their woodfire oven pumps out Neapolitan-style pizzas featuring delightfully fluffy outer crusts, with the same dough making their voluminous rosemary and confit garlic focaccia. Silky sheets of house-made pasta are used to make a lasagne that Garfield would envy, with piping hot layers of bechamel and rich ragu. Dining here is the perfect way to end a trip to the nearby City Botanic Gardens.

Where: 12 Edward St, Brisbane City, QLD

Price: Pasta from $42; pizza from $35

If a decade of chic, contemporary Italian food under its belt doesn’t convince you to try Popolo, its dazzling views of the Brisbane River will. Whether you’re dining outside under the foliage or inside between their sandy walls, Popolo – and its menu – whispers of Italian summer. Starters, like head chef Francesco Vitagaliano’s signature linguine with pops of Moreton Bay bug, spanner crab and rich lobster bisque, make for elegant Italian with a breezy Australian touch. Up the char factor with grilled lamb cutlets featuring goat curd, or one of their pizzas with 24-hour fermented dough.

Where: 3 Sidon St, South Brisbane, QLD

Price: Pasta from $34

Worth visiting for the interior alone, Oggi upped the stakes for Adelaide dining when it opened in 2015. At once graceful and modern, the award-winning fit-out draws inspiration from a light-filled Italian piazza and is just as enticing. Grab a seat at the long concrete bar or one of the comfy booths and peruse a highly seasonal menu that melds Italian tradition with the best local produce. Expect plenty of cured meats and seafood, as well as pasta that’s made fresh daily (Oggi is Italian for ‘today’) on the deceptively simple menu that foregrounds fresh produce and bold flavours with an Italian-leaning wine list.

Where: 76 Pirie St, Adelaide, SA 

Price: Pasta from $32

Part Italian restaurant, part inventive wine bar, Anchovy Bandit has a few modern twists up its sleeve. Traditional Italian flavours mingle with other cuisines to create playful dishes. Bucatini is tossed through Goolwa pippies, yuzu kosho and chives, and pineapple on a pizza gets a revamp with prosciutto, pineapple, kimchi and spring onion joining forces on their puffy dough. Anchovy Bandit's pizza crusts are so thick and round, you could roll your hair with them. Except don’t; it’s put to much better use paired with one of the house-made 'crust dips'. Choose from garlic butter, taramasalata or XO sauce mayo. Wine is taken very seriously here too, with a great range of South Australian and Italian varieties to try.

Where: 96 Prospect Rd, Prospect, SA

Price: Pasta from $35; pizza from $26

This family-run Adelaide institution has been operating since 1985. Siblings Jessica Favaro-Richards and Nicholas Favaro have taken the baton from their parents to balance tradition and modernity with grace on their seasonal menu. Start with addictive rabbit croquettes, crunchy and soft in all the right places, and served with dragoncello sauce (tarragon salsa) and pickled carrots. Meaty centrepiece dishes are chargrilled over sangiovese vines, like juicy half-chicken with Jerusalem artichoke and porcini. Explore it all through the four-course menu – excellent value at $88 per person.

Where: 160 Hutt St, Adelaide, SA

Price: Pasta from $38

Chef and restaurateur Matt Breen is the master of small, intimate Hobart venues (he’s also the man behind Templo and Sonny), and Ogee is his latest venture. A corner space in popular North Hobart, you’ll hear the signature sound of records spinning and wine glasses clinking as soon as you get near Ogee. Another staple of any Breen offering? Flavourful Italian-inspired dishes created with local produce, a hefty wine list, welcoming staff and relaxed, friendly vibes. Hey, if it ain’t broke…

Where: 374 Murray St, North Hobart, TAS

Price: Pasta from $35

This stylish Perth wine bar and restaurant is famed for its refined Italian-inspired plates, tableside pizza delivery and fantastic wine list. Mummucc is the second Italian diner helmed by the Monsterella pizzeria team, and the experience shows. Here, you get the best of both worlds. A sumptuous menu of Mediterranean dishes, with flashes of Australian influences, plus the added option to order steaming hot Monsterella pizza straight to your table from its location just next door.

Where: 46/56 Grantham St, Wembley, WA

Price: Pasta from $29

This neighbourhood osteria in Perth's Mount Lawley offers a charmingly jumbled and ultimately delicious take on Italian food. Testùn combines known and loved Italian classics with global influences. Think housemade focaccia with whipped Vegemite and maple butter or longuine with Shark Bay tiger prawns, yuzu butter and balachaung (fried onion and dried shrimp sauce). The menu is ever-changing, but always creative and inviting of adventure.

Where: 12/760 Beaufort St, Mount Lawley, WA

Price: Pasta from $38

Housed in Perth's very swanky Como The Treasury hotel, this upscale Italian eatery is the place in Perth for a fine dining experience with comfortingly classic Italian flavours. Despite this, the menu reads as a list of comfort dishes, proving fine dining and wholesome dishes aren’t mutually exclusive. The menu is all about high-quality produce and flavours with mass appeal, and takes cues from all over Italy, from Roman-style amatriciana to Milanese cotoletta. The wine list, fittingly, combines great drops from both Australia and Italy.

Where: Como The Treasury, 1 Cathedral Ave, Perth WA

Price: Pasta from $38

Braddon might be where all the cool kids of food and drink are hanging out, but it’s also home to Italian and Sons, an Italian institution serving up the kind of contemporary yet classic Italian fare that we all crave when the mercury drops. It’s a warm, casual spot where you can just pop in for a plate of pasta and some wine – you don’t need an occasion to dine here, but it’s also very popular, so booking is a smart move. The game plan here is simple to follow: bread, antipasti, pasta, and mains, then dessert. Pasta is hand-rolled and adorned with seasonal sauces, focaccias are baked on wood and served with whipped ricotta, and the tiramisu – well, we don’t know the secret for that, but it’s bloody good.

Where: 7 Lonsdale St, Braddon, ACT

Price: Pasta from $38

Are we on the shores of Lake Como or Lake Burley Griffin? Carlo Tosolini’s expansive restaurant will transport you straight to the heart of Italy, with its comforting carbs and deli fridge, stocked to the brim with local and specially imported DOP cheeses and meats. Pair buffalo mozzarella and gnocco fritto with an Aperol Spritz on one of their outdoor tables and you could call it a splendid day, but you’ll want to order a dish from their woodfire oven. Butterflied king prawns in garlic and chilli oil, or one of their pizzas with a bubbly charred crust.

Where: 155/43 Eastlake Parade, Kingston, ACT

Price: Pasta from $34; pizza from $30

You’ll find an unassuming slice of Napoli at this casual pizzeria, located just a street back from the waterfront in Darwin’s city centre. The team serves pizza the way it is served in the streets of Napoli, following traditional 17th-century methods. Every disc is hot-to-trot with a leopard-spotted puffy crust, soft and saucy centre, and toppings appointed in all the right places. The Gamberi nails the brief with for di latte, marinated NT prawns, cherry tomatoes, zucchini, parsley oil, garlic and basil. It’s best enjoyed the traditional way with a knife and fork in Alfonsino’s relaxed outdoor patio.

Where: 20/69 Mitchell St, Darwin City, NT

Price: Pasta from $28; pizza from $15