La Pesa Trattoria

Little piece of Italy in Sydney. They do offer a groupon for two people per table with a set menu. However I ordered a la carte and still found everything to be worth it. The staff is wonderful. Great variety of Italian wines and champagne, and also a menu for those who prefer cocktails. I had the Moscato Rosa, I would recommend this for those who are looking for little alcohol but also a lemony flavored sparking drink. We also ordered the mixed plate antipasto misto, it basically came with a little bit of everything and the salami, zucchini and roasted tomatoes were amazing. As well as other antipastos. Desert special was also very very good. This place easily earns 5 stars. We will be back soon to try other recipes.

La Pesa Trattoria is a lovely Italian restaurant in Darlinghurst, Sydney, Australia, with a diverse menu of tapas and mains, perfect for lingering over while sipping a bottle of wine.
The space is simple and relaxed, with a small main bar anchoring the front room and a larger dining room on the other side. Great for romantic dates for couples or for larger party celebrations, the restaurant offers a cozy, neighborhood feel with stellar attentive service.
I had a tapas feast there recently, noshing on mostly cheese-​filled plates that made me happy. La Pesa Trattoria’s tapas selections include Italian Salumi ($ 13 AUD), Hot Speck and Mozzarella Bites ($ 12) and Pork Hock Terrine ($ 15), with items like Focaccia Barese ($ 10) and Olives with homemade Grissini ($ 11) to satisfy vegetarian palates. Mains include pastas, veal and salads, all traditional Milanese recipes with an updated twist.
My meal started with the Gnocco Fritto Bowl ($ 8), fried bits of Italian bread paired with a cheese fondue. The cheese was flavorful and had a perfectly melty consistency, and the bread reminded me of a sopapilla-​turned-​savory. I loved the dish.
The Burrata Mousse ($ 15), a creamy mozzarella mousse with basil, croutons, confit cherry tomato and grated bottarga, was unlike anything I’d ever had. A creation of the restaurant’s chef, it was ultra-​creamy and a tasty take on traditional burrata caprese.
Taking a break from the tasty cheeses, next up was the Rustic Wedges ($ 9), hand-​cut potatoes with burned parmesan and truffle essence. The potatoes were ultra-​filing, and I could definitely taste the truffle, which elevated their flavor.
The Tomino Cheese and Figs ($ 15), which came with walnuts, balsamic glaze and crostini, was another gooey cheese creation that I loved for its sweet and savory melding. The walnuts were a great touch that added crunch and another flavor layer, and every element in the dish worked perfectly.
The Cheese Board ($ 14) to finish the meal was a perfect ending because it had more sweet components. The gorgonzola, pecorino and taleggio cheeses were all high-​quality, and paired with a spicy plum jam, crostini, olive oil and more walnuts, it would be both a great appetizer option or dessert.
If you head to La Pesa Trattoria, I’d definitely recommend going the tapas route and trying lots of the delectable bites the restaurant has to offer. You won’t go wrong with any of the cheese dishes, and the Burrata Mousse was an enjoyably innovative stand-​out.

If you want to get away from the usual touristy stuff in Sydney, this is the place for you. I hate tourists, even though I am one on this trip. They are usually rude, annoying, and have a gaggle of kids that don’t know how to behave. It was lovely to be at an adult restaurant that didn’t have any brats running around.
The place appears small but has a lot of room that isn’t visible from the entrance. It’s very quaint and Mediterranean in feel – as it should be. The service was excellent and the food delicious.
We started with the Risotto with Italian Sausage. Wow. I’ve never had Risotto so good and being from the SF Bay area, there is a lot to choose from. The fennel in the dish knocked it out of the park.
Our mains were the Meatballs with Polenta, as well as Osobuco. Both dishes were tasty, cooked appropriately and large in portion size. I almost regretted starting with the Risotto after I had to stop halfway through my main.
I persevered and had dessert with coffee. The Tiramisu exceeded my expectations and was good to the last spoonful.
When it’s time for Italian in Sydney, it’s time for this place.

Such a cute little restaurant. Service was a little hit and miss on the night, and the food was OK, but won’t be rushing back. I think perhaps its a little tired and needs a bit of a refresh. It’s been around for an age. Only been once and by the look of the other reviews, it might have been an off-​night.

Wow, what a great Italian. Modelled after a restaurant in Milan, we’re told, La Pesa Trattoria does a great job emulating an eatery from that area. It’s a small warren of rooms, busy and bustling, everyone having a good time.
The service was friendly and attentive. The bread and oil and salt to start were just the right size, not overdone to the point where you risk filling up. A couple of shots of creamed cauliflower got the taste buds fired up.
We could see the main portions were generous, so we only shared an order of olives to start. That was enough, with lots of those green Sicilian olives that are so yummy, plus a few small black ones, and all warmed up. That small touch makes a big difference.
You’ll not find pizza here: this is all about pasta and hearty dishes of meat and fish, as they do in Milano. The ossobucco — one of the house specialities — was delish, with very high quality meat. It was perched atop just the right amount of tasty risotto. I nearly got the veal cutlet; next time.
My wife had the twice-​cooked duck, and pronounced it the best she’s had in recent years.
Even the side dish of green beans in butter and almonds tasted amazing.
The wine list was heavily Italian, with some very special choices, but there are still several Australian choices (and good ones!) for those who are concerned about the air miles earned by your plonk.
Proper Italian atmosphere, top-​notch service, and hearty meat-​and-​fish dishes are what you’ll get. The table next to us had come back two nights in a row. That says something.

Fantastic service, beautiful food. We stumbled upon this place by luck, and were so grateful. Everything was delicious and our server was delightful.

If you want to get a real Italian experience without leaving Sydney, make tracks to La Pesa in Darlinghurst. I have been to many Italian restaurants over the years but La Pesa really impressed me because I actually felt as if I was back in Italy.
Owned by the beautiful Maki and Michael, it is similar to the original La Pesa in Milan which Maki co-​owned for five of the nine years she lived in that part of Italy.
In Milan, La Pesa is a little bit off the beaten track but still close enough to the city centre to be a popular favourite. La Pesa in Sydney is building up to the same thing.
The menu is typical of food found in the Lombardia region of Italy, great osso buco, tasty risotto and unbelievable gnocchi fritto (I could live on that alone!)
The high ceilings give the restaurant a sense of space while the black and white photographs by celebrated Milanese photographer, Virgilio Carnisio, a wedding present to Maki and Michael, tell an interesting story of Milan.
When asked why Italy and Milan in particular, Maki explained «While living in Milan I was both inspired and overwhelmed by the Italian passion for food and family. Coming from a more reserved dining culture, I quickly fell in love with the vitality of it all, and now this is my attempt to bring a slice of raw Italy to Sydney. La Pesa seeks to capture the very essence of the Italian culture, and to educate Sydneysiders on the real taste of Milan. «
The menu really shows the diversity of northern Italian cuisine. From the mouth watering L’Ossobuco in Gremolata con Risotto Giallo all Milanese (best risotto I have ever had in Sydney) to the Ravioli di Cinghiale (made with braised boar), meat lovers are sure to be satisfied.
Remembering that this is a typically meat eating area of a country that does not necessarily think too highly of vegetarians, there are plenty of vegetarian options: Carpaccio di Melanzane e Pomodoronio con la burrata — a delightful combination of creamy burrata mozzarella served with chilled eggplant and roasted tomatoes or Le Crespelle di Magro con la Besciamella — Oven baked pancakes with ricotta and spinach.
The dessert list is full of the old standards: Tiramisu and Semi-​Freddo, however, they are handmade on the premises and truly flavoursome.
The wine list is full of real gems chosen by Michael. «I’d rather carry a great selection of wines, than a huge selection of wines. I want to remain true to the authenticity of the place, and create a ‘total experience’ for diners, which is why we have such a strong regional focus with our wines and our food. However, we still strive to support local industries by using fresh Australian produce and featuring Australian and New Zealand wines. Undeniably, such a strict concept is hard work, but it is always worth it. You can’t beat the satisfaction of watching people have their own unique experience, in what is essentially your home.»
In an area full of restaurants, La Pesa stands out for its ‘genuiness’ as many Italian technical wine notes put it. A real little part of Milan here in the heart of Sydney.