Review Bar Italia - Leichhardt

Since the moment I arrived, the guy that received me in the door to check my Covid check, was not to friendly. The Spaghetti combo with veal was very good, the arancini crust was a bit thick, soggy and has very little meat. The Milano pasta was very good. The guy at the counter that took my order was not rude but was no friendly either, very very serious with a bit of a bad face. The affogato was nice, the cappuccino too but the guy that took my dessert order (bald head with glasses) was so unfriendly, and almost upset to me and at the end he gave me a tray with all the desserts and coffee to carry, I'm very bad at carrying trays and almost fell, I consider they should have taken it to my table themselves. The panacota cake was very jellyish but the tiramisu was very good. And the end I went to the toilet, a worker from the kitchen peed and left without washing off his hands. I don't like to imagine what hi could have cooked after that with his hands dirty. In conclusion, the serve is very generous for the price, it's not expensive, taste is good and food quality is good too, but costumer service was bad, very bad, it'll be a perfect place to come back if they're more friendly. When you go to a restaurant, you are after the experience rather than the food only. I didn't enjoy their good food because of their staff bad mood.

When it comes to the hallmarks of a well established restaurant, there are two major things to consider. Has the veteran staff burnt themselves out and is the passion still in the food? The host was accommodating enough, but I wish I could give him a relaxing holiday so he would rest and unwind. Read the menu at your table and order at the counter. All beverages are given to you on a tray to take back yourself. Luckily I was confident in myself that day not to slip anything. My wife spoke very highly of the iced coffee, as it had scoops of real coffee gelato put in it I'm not surprised! I'm not a coffee drink and even I was tempted. The serve was at good speed. Our drinks tray was taken away quickly. Our entree came out in good time. A cheese and garlic pizza - good size for two people. We had about a third left over. Our mains came out at just the right time also. The kitchen and wait staff must have had superb communication. The wife had the Bar Italia pasta; prawns, bacon, chilli and olive oil. Good helping of prawns and a good balance of subtle flavours. I went with the gorgonzola gnocchi, nothing subtle about that! At first I was dealing with a medium sized piece of gorgonzola which hadn't melted into the sauce. Powerful stuff but what do you expect? Later on in the meal the cream sauce and cheese blended together nicely for a very enjoyable experience. Respectability priced meals with a easy going atmosphere. As good as the pastas were we're going to take their pizzas for a main next time!

The ricotta cannoli is definitely a must try! I tried the coffee gelato and I love it. The bar italia spaghetti that I ordered was quite good but I wouldn’t say that it’s very delicious. However, I would love to try other pasta such as the carbonara.

Great atmosphere, friendly staff and delicious food that's great value for money. Highly recommend

I really wish I'd eaten the food they cooked when they opened in 1952. At least a visit here would at least confer nostalgia. Now, it's more like a slight sadness about a menu "modernised" in the 70s. You'll never follow up "I ate at bar italia" with more detail, unless you're reaching for conversation content, or you don't get out more than the cast of The Castle. It will be rare that anything will be wrong with your meal. But...you know the rest.

An outstanding venue for family celebrations. The tortellini boscaiola tasted so good as did the rest of the food. Loved the friendly staff too

Been going here for years from time to time to have coffee and tiramisu, it's so addictive! They also have an outdoor seating area which is partially covered that is dog friendly🐾💕 On weekends it's quite busy so it'll be best to try avoid peak hours during lunch and dinner. Also have great gelato, pizzas and bruschetta!

Good coffee, quick service. Also have had the the half litre gelato pack to share with the family. Cash only and no skim milk but not a big deal for me. Been here forever and worth a try.