Restaurant Review - Bar Italia

Bar Italia
169 Norton Street
Leichhardt, Sydney

Nestled in the heart of Sydney's 'Little Italy' on Norton Street, Leichhardt, this bustling little Italian cafe come restaurant come gelato bar is not what you might come to expect from one of the oldest eateries on this famous strip. Plastic chairs, outdated furnishings, faded posters of Italian gangster films, and a deceptively large number of tables (it can seat 200 plus people!) make for a culinary experience that is full of surprises (which, if you go in with an open mind about it all, are usually on the good end of the scale).

If you arrive at Bar Italia and aren't first greeted by a queue to get in (which is most weekends or holidays), you'll encounter large blackboard menus which are largely ignored by the regulars that already know what they want, and a couple of signs that give a fair indication about what this place is all about - "No soy, no skim, no light milk" and "No credit, no EFTPOS". These guys have a system, and they stick to it - no exceptions.

You order and pay at the counter. You take your own water. You deliver your own coffee. You also need to find your own seat, and with no table numbers or no staff to direct you to a table, you may want to take some Valium to ease the anxiety surrounding the delivery of your food. Fortunately though, the anxiety lasts only temporarily, because every time, without fail, the food arrives unscathed. And quickly. Often too quickly in fact - if you dawdle too much you may collide with your order at the kitchen door (which you will have to walk past to find a seat up the back). And you certainly should not have any expectations about what constitutes an entree or a main. The food comes out whenever and however they want it to - and that's the way it is. Soup-Nazi much?

Fortunately what Bar Italia lacks in service, it makes up for in food. Big servings of delicious, hot pasta that are full of home made flavour - I can recommend any of the classics - they always satisfy an empty stomach and warm the heart. And it's cheap. Less than $15 will get you a meal that you'll be feeling good about for a long time. But make sure you leave room for dessert - if the line (which is often longer than that for the hot food) doesn't convince you, maybe the awards and accolades will (it has been voted the best gelato in Australia on numerous occasions). Again, the servings are big, and the flavours are full. Try the tiramisu and the pistachio.


I was first introduced to Bar Italia by an ex-girlfriend that lived about a 5 minute walk away. It was her local, the reliable stayer that always satisfied regardless of the circumstances. Not really a date place, but perfect, casual dining. We joked after we broke up that I wouldn't be able to go back there because it was her place. Don't tell her I've been back many times - there's good reason for me to think she was serious when she said she wanted it to herself!