Why you can’t go past these stellar options for comfort food

Want comfort? Eat pasta. Stellar offerings both old and new mean the options in Sydney are boundless. Here are five of the best.

Pasta is a perfect comfort food. Picture: iStock

If pasta is a perfect comfort food, stellar offerings at any of these five prove the options in Sydney are boundless.

Fabbrica

Various locations

Fabbrica.

Fabbrica is proof that good things can come in small, dimly-lit packages. Here it’s all about technique: pasta made by hand, sauces prepped with monk-like precision and a menu that’s short, sharp and rarely misses. Mafaldine comes with ’nduja, prawns and pecorino; slow-cooked beef sticks to rigatoni with the aid of a little chilli oil; and cacio e pepe leans extra peppery, just the way it should. A few stools, a lot of wine, no reservations – it’s fast, smart, delicious dining for people who know their conchiglie from their radiatori. You can also take some home. You probably should.

ciaofabbrica.com

Bar Italia

Leichhardt

Bar Italia owner Con Damouras. Picture: Flavio Brancaleone

This unapologetically old-school Italian joint on Norton St is the kind of place where the espresso machine hums, black-and-white framed photos of Italia line the walls and pasta feels like a comforting handshake. With an all-day menu that includes classics like carbonara, gnocchi and melanzane (with your choice of pasta shape), as well as the eponymous Bar Italia spaghetti loaded with prawns, bacon, garlic and chilli, this is unfussy, generous and reliably tasty: no frills, no bookings, just hearty cooking and brisk service. Outdoor seating spills on to the pavement, perpetuating those Little Italy vibes that gently let you know everyone’s welcome.

169-171 Norton St, Leichhardt

Il Palio

Mosman

Il Palio.

This charming trattoria brings a touch of Tuscan ease to the North Shore, minus the pesky passport line. Mornings kick off with adventurous breakfast twists – think carbonara-scrambled eggs or eggs bathing in tomato sauce – then segue into a more classically tuned lunch and dinner menu. Handmade pastas hold centre stage: porcini ravioli draped in porcini bechamel, or slow-cooked duck ragu tagliatelle that’s both comforting and distinctly fancy. The fit-out feels warm, with heartfelt service and enough olive wood accents to make you forget you’re, regrettably, not in Florence. This is neighbourhood Italian pulled off with genuine skill.

45 Spofforth St, Mosman

Ragazzi Wine and Pasta

Sydney CBD

Ragazzi Wine and Pasta.

In a quiet laneway behind the Recital Hall, this moody little diner is one of the CBD’s worst-kept secrets, and one of its very best pasta spots. The fit-out is part European wine cave, part city bar, with heavenly hand-rolled pasta and small plates to match. Expect elegant, modern Italian fare here: casarecce with ’nduja, pipis and capers; conchiglie with prawns and smoked tomato XO; or Jerusalem artichoke ravioli, depending on the day. The wine list is broad, the cacio e pepe is legendary and there’s just enough attitude to make the place cool without losing its soul. Bookings essential.

Shop 3/2-12 Angel Pl, Sydney

10 William St

Paddington

10 William St.

This tiny Paddington bolthole isn’t trying to impress, which is why it absolutely does. The menu is short, scribbled on a blackboard and confidently seasonal. One day it’s spaghetti with bottarga and lemon, the next it’s tagliolini tangled with mussels, chicory and breadcrumbs. The wine list leans natural, the staff know their stuff and the narrow room always buzzes like it knows a secret. You’ll need to wait for a table (unless you’re early), but the pay-off is pasta with edge and effortless charm. Bonus points for the legendary pretzel with whipped bottarga, possibly Sydney’s best argument against gluten-free living.

10 William St, Paddington