The best tiramisu in Sydney

Trisha Greentree is the freshly minted head chef of Paddington’s beloved Italian wine bar 10 William Street, stepping into the space left by outgoing chef Enrico Tomelleri. But it wouldn’t be 10 William Street if it didn’t have the pretzel and whipped bottarga on the menu, three pastas and the tiramisù, which is made with a classic combo of a sabayon and mascarpone and possesses more airy lift than a helium balloon. 

We might be a city of shifting dining whims, but our love of classic Italian never falters. A whole lot of European gesticulation goes on at Fratelli Paradiso, on here, both from the accented floor staff greeting regulars like they’re family and from diners recanting grandiose tales over rustic plates. Once you've made short work of their famous scampi spaghetti or the bistecca Fiorentinas, the right ending note is their extra fluffy tiramisu.

Want to impress your next load of dinner party guests? Serve ’em the $20 tiramisu from Saga. Bowdy is soaking the Savoiardi biscuits in tequila, mixing white chocolate into the mascarpone and throwing some Kahlua jelly in there for good measure. If you're in a greedy mood, they also come in smaller sizes so you can sit in and treat yourself, maybe with a bourbon-caramel milkshake for good measure.

Like an oasis in the desert, a charming Italian trattoria is the last thing you expect to find in the quiet backstreets of residential Alexandria. The combination of dark timber, warm candlelight, soft leather banquettes, excellent wine and one of Sydney’s most tender steaks is compelling. The only thing missing from this perfect Italian scene is a fluffy tiramisu that seems to defy gravity, and it’s yours for the asking.

When you're dealing with the classics it's important to consider how far you're willing to stray from tradition (remember 'peagate', when the NYT published a guacamole recipe with peas and everyone lost their minds). People have expectations around Italian desserts, and regard change suspiciously, but at the Dolphin, the addition of paper thin leaves of Australian bean to bar dark chocolate from Zokoko to their tiramisu lends it a delightful cracking sensation and a bright cocoa acidity that lifts the richness of all that aerated cheese.