Bar Italia, Leichhardt

Bar Italia on Norton St.

I have a soft spot for Italian food. There's just something about it that's genuine and true. It never fails to feel homemade and hearty. I've got to admit, it's my favorite cuisine out of everything that's out there. Different regions in Italy have their very own specialties, which makes Italian cuisine so diverse, not to mention interesting.

In Sydney, there's no place better to go for Italian food other than Leichhardt.* I've been there at least five times. I mean I would be there more often if it was closer to home. Anyway, that means I've been to a couple of restaurants. Notable ones include Cafe Moretti and Bar Italia.

I first read about Bar Italia in Time Out. Apparently, they have gelato that is to die for. After a late night of doing schoolwork in uni, my friends and I head over to Leichhardt for dinner, and of course, there's always room for dessert. So I suggested Bar Italia. The gelato was good, I emphasize gooooood. 


So then after a week or two, I went back there for both dinner and dessert with some other friends. We were heading there for dinner as well cause I've been hearing about the scrumptious pastas that more or less fall in the $15 range- they're supposedly spectacular especially considering the price tag.

So, that's the wide range of pasta.

They've got other mains too!

There was a whole board filled with the varieties of pasta. It made choosing nearly impossible. But then, I narrowed down the things that I usually like- red sauce, olives, capers, basil, etc. You sort of get the picture. After running my eyes down the menu for the- I guess 5th time, I've finally decided.

Lemon Lime Bitters of course!
I prefer Bundaberg though.

Maccheroni Siciliana $15.50
Anchovies, Eggplant, Olives, Chili,
Capsicum, in Napoli Sauce.

I had the Maccheroni Siciliana which comprised my favorite things in a pasta. I was delighted. The components of the dish were generally strong individually, but somehow they all came together and there was a delicate balance of flavors.

Fettucini Puttanesca- $14.50
Olives, Oregano, Capers,
Garlic, Peppers, Napoli Sauce.

Cannelloni- $14.50
Pasta filled with Spinach and Ricotta Cheese.

My friends had the Puttanesca and the Cannelloni. Both of them were quite content as far as I can tell. The table was really quiet once the food came. Everybody was just eating their hearts out.

The gelato bar

Hazelnut and Banana.

Mango and Banana

Finally, there was dessert. Dessert is a crucial part of a meal. I guess it sort of determines how your night is going to end, you know what I mean? There was nothing better to get other than gelato. And however odd it may seem, the house favorite was banana.** I thought to myself it was a strange flavor the first time I tried it. But it just delivered. It was sort of like a frozen banana smoothie. I also decided to try hazelnut which is often my pick when it comes to gelato. Yes, when you've had gelato at Amici, you'd think their hazelnut is awesome. This is more than that. It felt really light and natural, and to top it all off, there were bits and chunks of hazelnut al throughout the scoop.

Nobody was disappointed that night. The food was just the way I expected it to be. This is one for the books.

Gotta love GELATO.
BTW, that is a random, not me.

Bar Italia


169-171 Norton St
Leichhardt NSW 2040


(02) 9560 9981


Daily 9am-midnight



* I heard Haberfield is great too, I have yet to check that suburb out!

**  Daryl would've loved it.