Long-time Leichhardt resident Giovanni Spinazzola and his wife Cinzia returned to the Norton Street heartland (on the site of the former Elio) in 2012, and have been drawing a local crowd ever since to this simple dining room. The space is lifted by a marble-clad bar, while the menu focuses on tradition without the cliches often dished up in this part of town. This is a classic Italian trattoria writ large, from the exaggerated welcome by an avuncular waiter to the oversized red checks on the tablecloths and insurmountably generous helpings of homestyle pasta, such as orecchiette with a ragu of slow-cooked rabbit, smoky pancetta and a garlicky kick. A risotto of porcini, pea and taleggio also packs an umami punch, while Giovanni's signature lamb is a favourite order for good reason. A well-cooked snapper fillet suffered somewhat from an untraditional accompaniment of spiced tomato chutney, but a zesty cassata gelato brings things safely back to terra firma.