What a busy restaurant. The food is great, wonderful Italian food with lots of flavour. It is so mouth watering that I can't wait to go there again. There is a large range of food from pizzas, salads to pasta dishes. The staff were very pleasant but run of their feet. The front counter serves ice cream and it is a place for take away pick ups. There is an outdoor eating area too, very pleasant on a warm summer night. The place was noisy inside as it has tiled floor and if you wear a hearing aid it is deafening. I tell you I had to guess what my friends were saying a lot of the time and I don't think there was background music. The price was ok. I will go there again. read more

Was fairly busy for a Monday night. This place is known for their gelato and they have won awards for their gelato. We had dinner there and shared 5 large pastas, 2 pizza and 2 salad between 8 people. There were decent portions and there was pasta left over to take home. The garlic bread pizza and the vegetable pizza was good as well as the fries. The pastas were decent and had enough sauce but the noodles were a bit soft. The seafood pasta was a bit fishy tasting but the flavours were decent. We had gelato afterwards for dessert. For 3 gelato cups, it was $18 and they pack the cups. We had the passion fruit, Toblerone and the dark chocolate gelato. They were all good but the Toblerone and the dark chocolate were very rich. The passion fruit was excellent. read more

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You've got a love a place that is perfect every time for service, good food and even better value for money. I've been coming here for more than fifteen years now. So much variety of food - pizza, seafood, focaccia, panini, Chicken or Veal dishes, soup, salads! You'll never get tired of the choices. Breakfast is served here as well if that's what you really feel like! The place can get very busy so get in early before the lunch or dinner crowds. My favourite order is the Schnitzel and Pasta Combo for $22.50. Add a fresh Garden, Greek or Caesar Salad and you have the perfect meal. After dinner (if I have room) I get a couple of scoops of Gelato for dessert. This is my favourite Leichhardt Italian restaurant. read more

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Having heard so much good feedback about this place we decided to give it a go for breakfast. Unfortunately the guy serving us must have been trained at the Ivan Milat hospitality college. He just growled when I said good morning,grunted when I tried to pay with my credit card and just acted like I was lucky to be in his establishment (it was empty). We walked out and went 100m up the road to the trusted Jolly's Cafe. read more

This place is one of a few places that I constantly visit since almost 20 years ago. Recently sold, the new owner keep the menu and mostly everything to the original. When I come here, I always have their pasta. My favourite is Fettuccine Cozze. It's pasta cooked with mussels, garlic, chilli and tomato sauce. You can choose your pasta. My husband had the Spaghetti Bar Italia. Then followed by gelato. I love the Tiramisu and Pistachios. But other flavours taste great too! Everything taste good in this gelato bar! You can sit in various sections in this restaurant, from indoor near the gelato bar to the lovely courtyard at the back of the restaurant. The menu is extensive and service is basic. Don't expect anything fancy. Come here for heart-warming, home style Italian pasta. But what people come for is the gelato. read more

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Honest and affordable. No fancy gimmicks. In regards to the pasta you won't find better value for money anywhere else in Sydney unless u DIY. This is our favourite local. Get the Milano pasta and a rosetta panino to get your modgia-ing on for $1 dollar. Prego! read more

Good coffee but so so service. Has a good outside area on Norton St so you can sit there ad watch the world go by. Located amongst a whole lot of restaurants, it isn't the ideal place to go and have a a quiet drink before eating. Saturday and Sunday mornings are always busy, a great place to have breakfast and a read of the paper. They don't serve soy or skim milk and they don't accept credit cards. I can say that they have great gelato, however, finding a clean table is often a chore because the staff aren't particularly worried if they're clean or dirty. Expect stodgy food, impatient waitresses and mis-timed meals read more

Bar Italia - Italian Near Me - Leichhardt, NSW

Bar Italia in Leichhardt is what it is, no exceptions and no apologies. And why would they apologise? The food is great - from entree to dessert, Italy does a little dance in your mouth with every bite. Sitting out in the courtyard with a bottle of wine, fairy lights spangling the trees and stars spangling the sky, it's the perfect summer/spring location. Quality garlic bread is followed by the best (and probably healthiest) chicken parmiagana around - pan fried chicken fillet with eggplant, napoletana sauce and mozzarella cheese, with crisp fresh veggies and topped with my own generous helping of pepper and parmesan cheese (perhaps offsetting the 'healthy' factor). But starter and main aside, dessert is one of the greatest things about Bar Italia. Whether you opt for one of their many gelatos, baked ricotta cheesecake, a choice of ricotta (my favourite), chocolate or vanilla canolis or their rightfully famous tiramisu, any which way you will leave the Norton St restaurant a few kilos heavier and a much, much happier. If you're keen for a post dinner coffee, the sign on the machine unashamedly says it all "NO SKIM, NO SOY, NO DECAF". Service is no frills, but everyone's sporting a smile, and with food like that who needs frills anyway. read more

Bar Italia - Italian Near Me - Leichhardt, NSW

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You walk into Bar Italia on Norton Street knowing what you're going to get. It's a simple restaurant, but a good one. There's definitely a reason it's been there so long. There's something to be said about a dining experience with no surprises. As exciting as a surprise can be, sometimes it's not worth the scorched eyebrows and stained shirt. The staff are always friendly and there's a real family atmosphere, whether you're sitting in the front where you can hear the cling-clang symphony of the front counter and kitchen, or in the back courtyard where there's a different, higher pitched symphony of giggling children and chirping birds, there's always volume. The establishment has its draw backs, but as mentioned previously, these are expected draw backs and I've wandered in knowingly, so if these draw backs are problematic, I have no one but myself to blame. It's cash only, no issue, that's a simple question of being prepared and no soy milk or skim, a few extra squat thrusts in the morning and that full cream latte you have with lunch won't seem so bad. Master these minor problems and you're on your way to a reliable, affordable, pasta based lunch. read more

Bar Italia - Italian Near Me - Leichhardt, NSW

For those of you that don't know Norton street in Sydney is famous for its Italian restaurants. Bar Italia is one of those restaurants that's been around for a long time, it does great meals, coffee, gelato and desserts which keep its regulars coming back for more. The restaurant has a courtyard at back that is partly covered, an indoor dining area and also an outdoor seating area at the front. You order and pay for your meals at the bar, make sure to look at the pasta blackboard on the right of the bar, that has alot of great meals. My favourite is the penne putanesca. The main thing though that draws me back to this place is the tiramisu and the gelato. The tiramisu is very creamy, due to the big serving of mascarpone covering its sponge filling. The gelato is also very good, alot better than lots of those gelato chains popping up all over the place. The best gelato flavours are definitely the banana and the coffee, but they're all great. Whenever I'm not in Sydney I miss this place! read more

Bar Italia - Italian Near Me - Leichhardt, NSW

I was fortunate to grow up in Sydney's inner west tasting an abundant array of their home made gelato. It would be a treat to be taken here once in a while after school during my high school days from nearby Five Dock. The serving sizes are extremely generous; despite the fact that Italians themselves are quite generous themselves when it comes to abundant food servings anyway. Great to take away; although better to eat in. The gelato is well presented and the silver cups are just divine. Best to have a buddy to share a three scoop with. Their hot chocolate packs some punch, and heads down this establishment gives the Lindt Chocolat Cafes in Sydney a run for their money. If I was to vote for Sydney's best hot chocolate; it would have to be from Bar Italia. The baristas are super fast, and payment aways needs to be made up front. An efficient and friendly food production; however oh so well worth it. It is tricky to find a good table inside; there is always outside and the back garden is fantastic for a multi-group catch up. Remember to not mix hot and cold together. Gelato and hot chocolate don't go well here together. This is a friendly oasis well worth coming back for more and more. read more

Bar Italia - Italian Near Me - Leichhardt, NSW

Very bad service and rude dispectful staff. We were 3 people, we sat ourselves to a big empty table an old lady came rudely and told we can't sit at the table, pointing towards a small table to do social distancing during Covid. How can you do social distancing on a very small table? She could have told us nicely, but was very rude right from the get go. Would never go here again, wouldn't recommend it to anyone. read more

Not the same Bar Italia of yesteryear! Food and service has slumped. Gelato so too has fallen. Although can't go past schnitzel + pasta combo , good value. Coffee is still of high standard. read more

Bar Italia is an institution, and one of the best spots in Sydney for great coffee and great gelato. I've been coming here since I was old enough to get out of the house myself without parental supervision and it hasn't changed one bit, and I like that. Lets sum up Bar Italia in their own words: "No Soy, No Skim, No Decaf, Just Milk". Uncompromising, and the fact that every other punter you are in line with is ordering in Italian (due- due espresso grazie!) should tell you volumes about the respect this cafe/restaraunt has amongst the community that founded and created it. Bar Italia, once again you've delivered- Cheap, No-nonsense, no pretensions, spartan, uncompromisingly simple, and done well. read more

Hands down, best place for gelato in the inner west. It's pretty common for people to have dinner elsewhere on Norton Street, and then walk to Bar Italia for gelato dessert. Bar Italia has always been a little worn on the edges (the place, that is, not the gelato), but it's such a Leichhardt institution, we can forgive it for being a bit shabby. The food is unremarkable but yummy: pretty standard old-school Italian restaurant fare, and there's a great garden out the back. Don't expect gourmet, expect homely. It's a good place for eavesdropping on all the local goings-on (it used to be an old haunt of Leichhardt mayors of years past). No table service - it's all done at the bar, and the system usually seems to work. DO NOT ask for skim or soy. These guys are purists about full cream milk, and they will tell you so assertively. They were making good espresso in Leichhardt long before coffee culture took hold in the rest of Sydney. read more

If there's a better gelato place in Sydney than Bar Italia then I clearly haven't found it yet. On the wall they proudly display their certificate from the 2007 "I Love Food" awards naming them as Australia's best ice cream / gelato place. The three flavours (in order): zabaione, Toblerone and tiramisu. 1 scoop is $3.50, 2 scoops are $6.00 and 3 scoops are $8.00. On weekends the cue for gelato goes right out the door, but it's well worth sticking it out. The flavours are impeccable and the gelato's texture is always deliciously creamy. Bar Italia's coffee is also of quite a high standard (they use the Vittoria blend). Don't bother asking for skim or soy (they'll throw you right out!) read more

Bar Italia - Bar Italia's ice cream selection - Italian Near Me - Leichhardt, NSW

Love this place. I grew up in the area and still live here. Bar Italia has become a place I frequent now mainly because of my 3 and 4 yr old nephews. It's a tradition now, once a week that we have gelato. The 3 yr old loves the traditional chocolate while the older one is slowly going out of the comfort zone by trying other flavours. His favourites are chocolate, choc mint and donatella (for you Nutella lovers try this one!). The management did change some time ago but I'm pleased that they have kept the same menu. My favourite gelato flavours/combos are pistachio/almond, pistachio/coconut, pistachio/hazelnut...just devine! I'm usually lucky enough to get 20 minutes free parking in civic video next door when having only gelato with the kids...or I just walk down since I'm only a block away. read more

Out of all the Italian restaurants in Leichhardt this one looked the most authentic in terms of its rustic decor, gingham tablecloths and patrons! Feeling a bit peckish I made the mistake of asking the server to recommend a small meal. He replied 'do I look like I eat small meals?' referring to his indulged stomach. Well, I guess not! So Bar Italia is not for small meals or people on a diet. It offers up generous portions of traditional Italian food- pizza, pasta, parmigiana, schnitzel and gelato. I had the melanzane pasta with eggplant, olives, capers, napoli sauce with a choice of pasta. My friend couldn't resist the parmigiana covered in delicious cheese just like a Nonna would dish up. Service was quick and attentive. No trip to Italy is complete without gelato and that's exactly what we did. I couldn't go past the pistachio which had a good handful of nuts in it. Bar Italia is great local restaurant, suitable for for large groups and family friendly; it's a little bit of Italy in the suburbs. read more

Bar Italia was recommended to me as a Leichhardt institution. They don't put much effort in a fancy, hipstery look but have probably looked with this for years (decades?). Pizzas are huge and delicious and they have a gelato bar. It's usually pretty busy and cash only! read more

Going to Laneway n stop by for a quick meal. We love the 50s feel. We had spaghetti Bolognese and penne Puttanesca. Both dishes were amazing. We are definitely coming back for more pasta and gelato! read more

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I agree with most of the other reviews on here! They have fantastic gelato, among my favourites are Toblerone and Bounty with real pieces of the chocolate bars in it! YUM ! Tiramasu is also amazing again with real pieces through it. It can be a little crowded at the gelato bar and those in the queue know one thing, they want their gelato ! Don't worry though, the staff are great here and know just how to handle a crowd desperate to wrap their lips around delicious gelato and they work fast to ensure everyone is satisfied as early as possible! If you can afford it on your hips ask for a mascapone dessert - HEAVEN ! :) read more

Great coffee, great gelato (toblerone is my fave) & good pastas. Love the ice coffee too. One of my favourite places for quick pasta meal & coffee/gelato. Unpretentious & pretty quick service. Street metered parking only. read more

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Sat out the back under a perfect sky. Love the family atmosphere here. Service is fast, the fast where they are whisking plates away before you finish. That's always an intrusive bummer but the waitstaff understood. I would have loved a giant shaker of Parmesan and more kick to the napolitana on my fettuccine but it was hot and fast. We left half of our margarita because we were full and paying for a box we had to walk around w was too much. There are better tasting pizza and pasta places but this is like eating at home w no clean up. I guess I like some spice and this food was lacking. read more

This place has amazing pastas and pizzas at such a fair price. I would much rather eat here than any other fine dining Italian place. The staff were friendly and polite, 1 in particular who was singing as he passed our bruschetta. Seriously guys, i wish this was closer to my place, i would be here once a week. read more

The waitress was incredibly rude to my friend. Kicked us out because we weren't there for dinner and there was no proper sign saying that we couldn't dine for tea. She was loud, obnoxious and unprofessional. She called my friend "stupid" for not following the so called rules. It was obvious they only wanted diners wanting to pay more, and she used COVID as the excuse - so when we dine, COVID doesn't apply? Absolutely appalling behaviour. It's such a shame because it is a great restaurant and well established since the 1950s. Get that waitress out and everything else is fine. read more

Most of the staff are awesome, but there's a chance you'll have the great misfortune of encountering the grouchy owner who should probably realise that customer service isn't her thing, and stick to running the business. She was so enraged that a one year old at our table had made a small mess that she assumed we wouldn't clean up that she had to return several times to angrily say things like "you people" are always making mess and never cleaning it up, and "what if I came to your house and made a mess" (er... as a good host I'd probably say "don't worry about it! We'll clean it up later!" or maybe we'd clean it up together?). If you're an adult with no kids at the table you'll probably be fine, but who knows - a lady that grouchy probably has a lot of peeves she needs to angrily scold her customers about. read more

This is a semi-regular for me. The coffee is guaranteed strong, so ask to water it down if you aren't a fan of strong coffee. Their gelato bar is small but good and the meals are OK. Pasta is simple, foccacia and panini are fairly small. I'd recommend the lasagna (meat or vege). Service is basic (think old school Italian). The prices are moderate which is a rarity for Leichhardt, but the fact that its past Marion St probably accounts for that fact as the more expensive places are further up towards Parramatta Rd and the Italian Forum. read more

Good pastas, fast service. When we go there were usually in and out. They generally want you out of there quick as there's a large amount of people / groups going in and out. read more

Bar Italia has almost been around as long as Leichhardt by the looks of things. I've spoken to overseas friends who visited Sydney 30 years ago who remember this place. Full of character, it's a little behind the times in terms of interior decorating and options on the expresso. Coffee is always served heavy, strong and only comes with milk and sugar (no soy, no decaf). The food is basic and honest and the price reflects that, which I like. The gelato is the main reason I walk through the doors here. Award winning gelato in generous scoops that must be tried even if you eat no other ice cream or gelato while visiting Sydney. read more

Cheap and cheerful, what you see is what you get with Bar Italia. No frills and no worries - relaxed atmosphere, friendly staff and prompt service. The food isn't gourmet, but it is tasty, fresh and good value. No corkage on BYO is also a plus. read more

Cheap and cheerful, good pasta, good coffee, good gelato, nice garden seating out back. This is not fine dining by any means, but has good food a lively atmosphere and always satisfies. The servings are very generous and the atmosphere is very social I've often found myself in random conversations with people in there, when I've been it, that in itself is a good indication of the fun casual atmosphere. They're really good at getting through a line quickly too, so even at busy times you're not waiting very long at all. read more

A no frills all Italian experience in Little Italy Leichardt Sydney. I love this place for its fresh food and friendly Italian staff. Don't look any further here you can get all the pasta sauce and pasta varieties you ever wished for. With great coffee and Italian treats also. If you're around Leichardt and hungry pop in for feed I promise you will enjoy. read more

One of the better restaurants in the city. It looks small from the front entrance but it's a huge restaurant with more room in the back and an additional patio area. The staff is nice and friendly. Best of all you get delicious food for a good price. I got the bar Italian toasted panini for under $9. It seems like a small sandwich but is very filling and super fresh. read more

I ordered the penne arrabbiata and my boyfriend had the fettuccine gamberetti. The penne was passable but the parmesan on top had a weird chemical taste to it. I suspect it was off. My boyfriend's fettuccine left much to be desired. The prawns were soft and mushy and had obviously been reheated from frozen. We shared a scoop of Toblerone gelato for dessert which was OK but it didn't taste much like Toblerone. read more

I had always come here for gelato which I love but never had a proper meal here until now. I wondered why I waited so long! A classic trattoria with chequered tables, no fuss service & food. There is a lot to choose from the menu - pastas & pizzas, chicken & veal. The pastas were all delicious, simple & cooked perfectly al dente. The pizza generous in size and very tasty. Good comments from our group were made about the veal dishes & chicken parmigiana. The winning desserts were the mascarpone & chocolate mousse and for those of us who couldn't go past the gelato, it was excellent as usual. BYO at no charge but cash only. read more

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Best place for gelato. I always have trouble choosing between tiramisu, pistachio and coffee. The chocolate is perfect, so is a vanilla raspberry combo. read more

This place has been a solid performer for the 25 years that I haven going there. The back dining room is a bit run down but that is part of the appeal. In fact it looks the same as it did 25 years ago. Late closing times too. read more

A bitter taste left after the meal and the attitude of the manager . The gnocchi Bolognese was offensive to my mouth , it was metallic as if having come out of a can , no seasoning which tells me they don't taste before serving and couldn't be resuscitated it was D.O.A. We attempted to revive with salt and chilli and attempted to eat it before deciding that it was inedible.The manager was so rude when having pointed this out and no apology was offered for our feedback about the dish , I wouldn't recommend eating any of the pasta dishes , the pizza was good but it soured the experience for me . The portion was small and overpriced for what they served up . All round not a pleasant experience, try elsewhere read more

The place is traditional Italian fare in a nutshell. Pizza, pasta and gelato. The service is average, the food okay, the prices represent great value for money read more

This placed used to be better! I went not long ago and the quality in food has gone down a tad. Still a friendly atmosphere and cheap eats though. Gelato is amazing I would go here just for that. Still don't understand how they find you when you give your order then sit down without a number or anything.. Super good memories? read more