The best 10 restaurants and places to eat in Balmain, April 2024

Cappello Pizzeria

84/100 (645 ratings)

Restaurants

Vegetarian Friendly

Pizza

Italian

Pizza

European

Italian

Vegetarian Friendly

Dinner

Lunch

Pasta

Salad

Risotto

Pesto

Italian

Pizza

European

Serves Alcohol

Highchairs Available

Takeout

Reservations

Seating

Table Service

Lunch

Dinner

Mid-range

"We just dined here. Walking up the hill from the ferry and spotted Capollo. Very good stop. In-house pumpkin ravioli was excellent, light and tasty..."

Cecil

"Got takeaway pizza here. Very prompt and polite service. The pizza was..."

Tazzza

"Really delicious pizza (Rustica) and salad (tomato and buffalo mozzarella?). House wine was only so, so. Staff are friendly and helpful. Ambience is..."

Soheli

"A little gem in balmain. Recommend the risotto and the tiramisu. Fine and delicately cook. The kingfish and scallop (special menu) in the risotto..."

Lilian Ngan

"Outstanding food! Especially the vegetarian lasagna. Only downside that coffee was a little on the weaker side. Good people watching from the street..."

Yu Hong

"Delicious over baked pizzas! A cute restaurant with very nice decor, you enter and are greeted with a good view of the pizza oven - a good sign that..."

Lien Nguyen

"Great little spot, with sandstone walls and a wood fire pizza oven that lights up the place and sends a great aroma through the restaurant. Pizza was..."

Alexalameddine7

"The Spot: not tooo hard to find parking, nice decor, nothing obnoxious nor particularly memorableThe Service: bit weird; not sure if it's..."

The Cheesy Charlatan

"My favourite Italian place in the inner west.Capello is located a short walk from the busy hub of Balmain, but it is a walk worth every..."

Coffee.lover

"Cameee here for pizza last night to celebrate my sisters birthday! We were seated upstairs which was nice and quiet with the same sandstone wall..."

YUXIPANDA

"Friendly staff and excellent food. Loved it, will strongly recommend this place for trying authentic Italian cuisine and very reasonably priced. Must..."

Ashish Bhatnagar

"Good, not great. The pasta was ok not the best, the seafood pasta was a little fishy, don't think the seafood was fresh. The pizza is great however,..."

Gaeth Al

"Outstanding dinner, from appetizer to dessert. Highly recommend! Mozzarella salad with pesto drizzle was delicious. Calzones was perfect, especially..."

Katie

"Only ordered the Margherota but it was spot on. Delicious produce and the dough was made very well. Nice and thin, crispy but soft - very well done...."

Warren Griffith

"Was in this area and felt like some real Italian food! So glad we found this place! I enjoyed a Mare e Terra (prawn & eggplant pizza) & my partner..."

Igot99problemsandfoodisONE

"One of the best service... Specially with just one person as a waiter... Welcoming warm delightful place. The food?? You ask? Well it is one of the..."

Global Foodie & Filmy

"The gnocchi, to die for, the service, incredible. You must go and experience the flavours of Cappello. @GlobalFilmyandFoodie. The..."

Projai001

"I love Capello. It's definitely my favorite pizza. Beautiful thin base & great crust. Siciliana is my pizza of choice or the veal pappardelle pasta...."

Elizabeth

"Everything was great- the starters, the main, the wine, the desserts and did I mention the wine? Oh and the coffee and service- highly recommend..."

John Belbeck

"Another excellent Italian joint in Balmain. Can't fault them. Wood fired pizzas were spot on with a nice texture with delicious cheese. The pasta we..."

Daniel J

"For the environment - this is a small cozy restaurant. Clean and nicely set up. For that I'll give it a 4.Service was quick. But to put that in..."

Andrew

"Ok this place was surprising. I never expected such great food so close to home ....but more than that the food was made with care and flair. We came..."

Jon Mak

"Love love love! Rainy week night, perfecto presentation, varied menu, chilli garlic prawns, to perfect ravioli, pizza divine. Gem tuxjed away in East..."

Julie Gray

"Superb food , great service with a smile and very well priced. All the things that have me returning almost weekly to this little gem for the past..."

Liliana Torresan

"Amazing food & service. Have been here twice for family birthday dinners. Cannot get enough of the calzone perferito, salmon pappardelle (special)..."

Nichole Louie

"Pizza for dinner!! Slightly hard to find parking but the pizzas here are amazing! -- The Food -- The waiters here wear a hat just like the sign! ..."

Janlifestyle

"So long Sojourn ; Duke's Lane's also gone bye-bye - but this time it's been replaced by something the good burghers of Balmain might really want!..."

Does My Bomb Look Big In This

"Great meal. It was a pleasant experience. The quality is great and customer service is good too! Will be..."

Judyvampire

"Best Pizza in Balmain. Tasty pizzas and efficient friendly..."

CR

"Good pizza and pasta relax atmosphere good..."

Collins.s

"The best pizza in Sydney! If you want to taste the real Italian pizza you have to go..."

LOP

"Fantastic and consistently good food. Being a local we have visited capello a handful of times now. On every occasion the food has been beautiful,..."

Joanne Dominelli

"Love it. We had a wonderful meal at this great looking restaurant. Waited 30min for a table but it was worth every minute, one of the best Italian..."

Great Taste

"Great local pizza... just around the corner.. Nice simple Nepalese style pizza... thin base with crispy crust, coupled with more traditional toppings..."

Jonathan Mayes

"Outstanding Italian style pizza! Best I've had in Sydney. Wood fired. Crunchy yet doughy thin crust. Light on the toppings with top quality..."

TheTruth

"Our closest pizza place and .... One of the best in Sydney. Love the rustica and the..."

Nicole Doughty

"Perfect Pizza. Truly delicious pizzas; we live close by and get take-out. My favourite is the Rustica with aromatic truffle oil, wafer thin speck..."

Imo

"Cappello knows how to do things in 3's. I'm not usually a fan of pizza but Cappello captured my attention! In the least amount of ingredients,..."

Noey

"I must say this place really impressed us. The atmosphere with cool bossa nova music which made it very romantic. First impression was great with..."

Gary Ching

"Don't go, you won't like it (and you may take my seat). Seriously, this place serves up awesome wood fired pizzas without fail. Nicest surrounds of..."

Sambo

"Drooling. Geez the proscuitto pizza is so so good......"

GoodFoodSeeker

"Fantastic. Some of the best Pizza I have had. The Calzone is superb. Easily up there with Lucio in Darlinghurst. Very friendly service..."

James

"Delish & Delightful!. We discovered this one early, and go back often. The building itself is a delight, with sandstone walls, good lighting and well..."

Anna Labertouche

"Hidden Gem. The service and ambience of this place is uniquely Balmain and yet Italian. The quality and quantity of the serves were excellent . The..."

Travelbbug

"Love it. We heard about this new place from a friend .i came with 3 of my girlfriends. we never been at the end of darling st before .what a amazing..."

Love Food

"Great. I'd consider myself a little bit of a food critic. I've been to Aria many a time, the Hilton wine bar, Quay, Tetsuya's, Every restaurant in..."

Alex

"Enjoyable experience at Cappellos. Ordered the weekly special gnocchi, calzone and the rocket and pear salad. Beautifully cooked, efficient and..."

Gina Lee

"Great little authentic Italian restaurant in Balmain east. The service was great and the staff were very attentive. The food is always amazing. Can't..."

Arthur Fabik

"Fabulous food and a lovely, cosy atmosphere. Will define be coming..."

Nicole S

"We dined at Cappello for NYE and we were really happy with the food and the service. We ordered almost all the entrees and among these octopus and..."

Diana Picciau

"We tried three pizzas, the one with pear in it was the most special and delicious one. Tiramisu was the best among the desserts we orders, which was..."

Huajue Zhu

"Great service, food was delicious! Was a great find before we enjoyed Vivaldi by Candlelight. Lovely experience..."

Sarah Keyes

"We had a lovely birthday dinner here. The service, food and atmosphere were great and we'll definitely come back. We made a mistake and ordered..."

Odi R

Contessa Balmain

83/100 (874 ratings)

Restaurants

Vegetarian Friendly

Gluten Free Options

Vegan Options

Cafe

Vegetarian Friendly

Gluten Free Options

Vegan Options

Brunch

Breakfast

Lunch

Salad

Prawns

French Toast

Toasts

Bruschette

Burger

Sit down

Café

Seating

Table Service

Wheelchair Accessible

Serves Alcohol

Highchairs Available

Full Bar

Outdoor Seating

Takeout

Accepts Mastercard

Accepts Visa

Brunch

Breakfast

Lunch

Cheap Eats

"Beautiful presentation and great value for money for the tuna salad. Chai latte and banana smoothie were delicious too...."

Grace

"We have been in this place for breakfast and we have eaten The Farmhouse Omelette, Rosa’s Breakfast Bruschetta and coffee. They were ok, with a..."

Chicca Fumagalli

"We ordered the Italian meatballs and eggs. The meatballs were seasoned well and juicy. However, would have preferred more of the delicious pesto to..."

Celeste

"Contessa meaning countess in latin is authentic to it’s Italian Roots fused with modern Australian cafe culture. Marco has cultivated a symbiotic..."

Jade K

"Nice staff and food and drinks were all very delicious. 1 potato leek soup2 prawn garlic spaghetti 3 risotto4 kids egg and..."

Eucalyptus33

"We were served by a lovely cheerful host on a busy Sunday and seated for lunch. Coffee was on point 👌 My friend and I both ordered the salad on..."

AdzTheFoodie

"Such amazing food! Everything tasted great and the staff were all so friendly. Definitely recommend the Nutella french toast if you have a sweet..."

Bella Rychter

"Tasty brekkie and big portion. Coffee is good too. Staffs are friendly and quick service. It is a bit pricy considering it is in Balmain, the price..."

Mic

"Good luck finding a table here for brunch on Saturday or Sunday! There’s a reason why Contessa is so popular though, the staff are beyond friendly..."

Blurred Limes

"The food and drink was very nice. I ordered Contessa corn cake and seasonal fruit frappe. The corn cake was nicely cooked, with a mixture of sauce..."

FluffyHamster

"Contessa is just one of those places that is constantly busy all day. And with good reason. Their selection of brunch dishes is incredible. ..."

Every Crumb

"Happy mornings begin at Contessa Balmain! There is even an outdoor table for you if you want to bring your furry friend! Dog Lovers, rejoice! This..."

JESSA BONELLI Aka “thetravelbelle” 💃

"Contessa is a busy cafe but it's worth the wait for a table if it's packed. The place has an indoor and outdoor seating with lots of natural light...."

EdeliciouS

"our favourite "go to" for breakfast. we've been fans now for about 6 months, and i now judge every breakfast place by the standards at Contessa..."

Megan Starling

"Fist time coming to this venue. Even though place was packed with customers when I came, service was quick and friendly. Coffee was awesome, from The..."

Foodblogs

"✔️ Was blown away by the amazing food & service at Contessa. I came here with my uncle on Sunday, they were packed as always which makes the vibe..."

Vic Aoun

"A friendly cafe with good portioned and tasty food. Really enjoyed the corn cake with salmon, could have be even better with just a few more drops of..."

GymEatSleep

"Even on a Wednesday morning, most of the tables were full. There was such a great variety of cafe, Italian and American inspired dishes it was..."

Foodsofchar

"From the bare brick walls and large mural, this is one of our favourite Italian/ American cafe. Not only do they have amazing customer service..."

Famishedduo

"Great cafe for the locals with friendly staff and chef. Very generous servings of food, loved the spaghetti and corn cakes. Nutella french toast..."

Anna

"Nice place, tasty food, great espresso martini, and super friendly and lovely service!! We really enjoyed our brunch here and what a fantastic start..."

Zheng Yufeng

"A good cafe to grab lunch. Service was friendly and efficient. I had the corn cakes with beans which I thought was a good size. It tasted fresh and I..."

Kerri

"Cafe uses The Grounds Coffee beans, sandwich was nicely toasted sour dough, bacon Avo, and some salad. Interesting add on with pickle Cucumber. Not..."

Howard Phung

"Generous serves of good food and friendly serviceContessa Balmain is a cafe/restaurant serving breakfast and lunch 7 days a week. It is..."

Milo_wendy

"Contessa Balmain is a licensed cafe situated in the suburb of Balmain. Their cuisine is inspired by owner Marco’s Italian roots and passion for..."

Love At First Bite

"Famous for their ‘Froggycinos’ Cafe Contessa seems to have flown under the radar …. But no longer! They are making their presence very clear..."

Alexandra | Lalan_eats

"Contessa Balmain will make my Top 10 Cafe List this year, such a superb venue. A venue that is so incredibly busy but never faulted on service,..."

Spooning Australia

"They serve the grounds coffee which was nice. Was not really hungry so just tried their muffin by luv. Would like to come back to try their brekky..."

Eathealthy

"Contessa is one of those cozy cafes in Balmain area that has been around for a long time. The cafe has a very warm ambient and very friendly staff...."

Hong Kong Blogger

"Contessa has been a local institution in Balmain for more than two decades with current owner Marco running the business for the last 13 years. It is..."

The RnB Diary

"I haven't ordered chicken parmigiana in years because I've always found it to be a plain and boring dish - schnitzel, tomato and cheese. However, I..."

Beef Ball

"A nice little cafe with friendly staff and great service. When we arrived the place was packed, luckily we didnt have to wait long for a..."

Asian Food Ninja

"Are you addicted to brunch? Are you looking for your next brunching hit?🍴 @contessabalmain will fill your every brunching fantasy with their..."

My Bondi Summer

"Came here on a Sunday for brunch. Was greeted by what seemed to the manager, was very friendly and inviting. Waited about 10minutes for a table on a..."

Kevin Dinh

"Little busy cafe, was pretty full on a Sunday morning, but we were seated quickly. My chicken Parmy was good from presentation to taste. They..."

Chenny

"Came here for breakfast on a Sunday and it was fantastic, the lovely waitress was super friendly and the atmosphere was great, they were super busy..."

Daniel Tambasco

"Very busy happening place. Good social media exposure. Had been seeing lots of good updates on my Insta so gave it a try. Staff were awesome...."

Missfoodie

"Started off with Bloody Mary's, which got us wanting more!Great spot for a long catch up with good food and a sneaky cocktail!..."

TheFatCouple

"Cutest babycino you will find in any cafe in Sydney, which they have named a frogacino. The cafe has a nice ambience and service is warm and..."

Eatwithmyfoodsafari

"Follow my insta @burgernsbikinisBrunch at Contessa is such a hidden gem! Balmain is not an area I frequent often as a foodie, but after..."

@burgersnbikinis

"I've been to Contessa twice now and definitely recommend it. Friendly staff always makes us feel like a regular and the food is fantastic...."

Xoxo.msjamie

"It’s absolutely no surprise how a place that is something of an icon in the Balmain cafe scene has outlasted so many Prime Ministers these past 14..."

The Next Rush

"Contessa Balmain is a funky and very stylish cafe. Boasting indoor and outdoor seating combined with friendly staff and great service creates an..."

2Foodiefrogs

"Totally heart this cafe in Balmain! I can see why it's jam packed on the weekends especially. The food here is flavoursome and hearty, the thing..."

Those Who Love To Eat

"Had a Bloody Mary and the mushroom risotto. They were kind enough to accommodate my request to add chicken. The food was delicious. Would definitely..."

Hannah

"Love this place! As a local this is our go-to cafe and we never leave disappointed. Food is great (chicken tortilla is delicious) and service is..."

Sarep

"Great little neighbourhood cafe in Balmain serving up a wide selection of breakfast and lunch items along with good coffee. Contessa is licensed so..."

Charn Tangson

"Bianca: Happy 2017 folks! I’ve been an admirer of Contessa Balmain for a little while now. Granted this has all been through some social media..."

Forfoodssake

"Went to sus out this qaint coffee shop in Balmain. I Had a Nutella donut $5 plus lge coffee. Atmosphere was nice. Their food looks amazing and I..."

Patopeaking Eats And Runs

"Along the bustling Darling Street in Balmain is a not so hidden gem, but one that has been shining bright for over a decade under Marco’s..."

Sir And Mlady Dine Out

"Contessa Balmain has been in Balmain for 24 years and 13 years under the current owner. What I notice first is the incredible friendliness and..."

Thewhereto

"We are kindly invited to contessa balmain. We popped in on a saturday lunch time and the cafe was pumping, full of customers!We started..."

The Weekend Foodie

"Busy Coffee shop. Located on Darling St, this place is always busy with either people getting takeaway coffee or sitting down to eat. It’s quite a..."

Postcards From Peta

"What a bloody beauty - sitting on Balmain Rd is @contessabalmain - home of the 'Deluxe Cheeseburger' 💪100% house made beef pattie,..."

Issac_eatsalot

"Love this amazing cafe in Balmain. As I walked in I felt the warmth. The staff were unbelievable and made us feel welcomed. The coffee was on point..."

Lollieats

"Love coming here on a Sunday for brunch. Awesome, American style menu with an Italian twist. Generous servings, yummy coffee. Wait staff are friendly..."

Rirrii

"Contessa Balmain is an experience that you have to be a part of along Darling Street. This place is a mix of New York and Italian - a place to sit..."

Coffeebrunchanddinner

"We had the opportunity to dine in for lunch at Contessa yesterday. We found the overall service to be attentive and inviting. The cafe space had a..."

Mish Mash

"Nice cafe just up the road from the heart of Balmain. Good food, great coffee, but is a bit pricey in my opinion. But you pay for quality, and that's..."

Live2eat

"Great atmosphere nice big breakfast can be slightly $$$$ to be a regular but great every now and again. The decor is fantastic and it's worth a visit..."

Julian Stambe

"Best cafe in Sydney! I've never been to a cafe more times than Bar Contessa and every time it's been a 10/10 experience. Amazing coffee, attentive..."

Pats

"Went in for brunch on a Sunday. Seated quickly. Friendly waiters/waitress. Took order promptly. Coffee was a little slow in coming. Actually the..."

DRJ

"The menu is extensive at Bar Contessa. It covers all of your sweet and savoury favourites for breakfast. Our poached eggs from the Hawkesbury Valley..."

Little Munch

"I think I have a new favourite brunch place! Walking along the quiet main road of Balmain I was drawn into Bar Contessa by its modern yet rustic..."

My SeeFood Diet

"Hangover heaven. The coffee will wake you right up and the all day breakfast menu is a godsend! Wish they open another restaurant in my..."

Suburban Eatz

"What an absolute gem. With the postive reviews I couldn't resist. Came here with a group of 10 and they were happy to accomodate us. Staff were very..."

Tim G

"Yum! I often take my staff here for Fri morn breakfast meetings. Staff are nice, food is tasty, eggs Benedict to die for! Always busy, no surprise..."

Nina

"My favourite sunday brunch. Service is always amazing. Generous portion of the dish and I always go back for their creamy mushroom..."

Edelweiss Tam

"Great service, amazing food clearly made with..."

Wayne

"Outstanding food, coffee and service from Marco and the team. Came here for a lazy lunch with my family of four and no-one was disappointed. Our new..."

David Eagle

"The best Meat Ball Linguini in a long time. Went to Bar Contessa for an impromptu family dinner last Friday and was drawn by its ambience and rustic..."

JP

"The Lady is Looking Hot!. Bar Contessa is a long time favourite for a lazy brunch, quick coffee or late lunch on weekends when I find myself out on..."

Angelo_W73

"Awesome. For a small place it has real atmosphere and the food (and coffee) are fantastic. Recommend the risotto but it's all great. Friendly and..."

Paul

"Great food, good value. I had the risotto special with avo, prawns, sundried tomatoes in a creamy white wine sauce, which was extremely tasty; my..."

Kbalm

"Good food, good vibes, amazing coffee. We ordered eggs Benedict- I’ve had better and Nutella French toast - I expected it to be warm, it was cold..."

Aastha Choudhary

"Located on Darling St, this place is always busy with either people getting takeaway coffee or sitting down to eat. It’s quite a small cafe but..."

Peta McConachie (Postcards from Peta)

"Always great! Love the Iced-chai, the French toast is literally the best, fluffy and well made. Absolutely loved the burger as..."

Hrithika Mulchandani

"This is such an awesome spot for brunch! You can never go wrong with the coffee or a "Contessa fry up"! We have been here so many times and the..."

Dominic Lattouf

"I’ve found Eggs Benedict Heaven! Costing under $20, the Hollandaise sauce (the most important part) is made to perfection and clings to the eggs...."

Robert

"Love Contessa's fruity frappes and eggs benedict, and the fry-up brekkie is what all big breakfasts should aim to be. Service is always friendly and..."

Belinda J

"Outstanding cafe! The staff are awesome - incredibly friendly but not too over the top. The service is really good and the food - omg - definitely..."

Reset

There are 127 restaurants

Cuisine

Dietary restrictions

Meals

Structure

Dishes

Balmain restaurants

Ranking

Sort A-Z

near you

Filters

Hungryboy99

Docfood

Missfoodie

Jen

Global Foodie & Filmy

Peter White

Coffeebrunchanddinner

Gabbys79

Holly Potter

Those Who Love To Eat

Derek Lee

BGphoto

Zoë Condon

All About Food Blog

Grahamfindlay19

Dee

Sayaka

LoveToEat

Jonathan Mayes

DarlingRed

Rebecca

Foodie Gal

Peter

Jules

Lee Samuel

I Love Food

Deb Munro

guillaume tual

L Lerdprawat

Lennie Davies

Felipe Hormazábal

Mic

Martin C

MELISSA LIN

Judy L

Monz

Sonia

Michael Pinto

Razel Navarro

cathy su

Alex Yee

Micku

Holly Tang

Kresta Rayward

The Next Rush

이해림

Rosenmaze

Thehappymedium

Bradley

Travellersfromoz

Naomi Rheinberger

Chichi

JMAC N CHEESE

Kis The Cook

Jess Bailey

Allofthefoods

Becca Bites

허시은

Kim Jinyoung

Alex.c Leaders & CO.

Jungjumi

Niki

Brad Walters

Elizabeth

Shchae81

Abbey Jones

Cheryl Hayman

Kai Luv