It seems that Sydney’s East is fast becoming a haven of Italian eateries, with the district recently welcoming yet another Italian-favouring venue in Barbetta. The younger sibling to nearby neighbour Cipri Italian, Barbetta is a more casual dining option which combines a cafe with a gourmet food store and workshop space. Designed by style stars ACME & Co., the venue upholds the stylish reputation of the Italian nation, with an interior decked in leather that is reminiscent of a 1950s sports car. To match its look is a distinctly Italian menu (with a modern twist) crafted by owners the Cipri Brothers, and made in ode to their ‘eat well, laugh often, love lots’ mentality. There’s breakfast dishes which include deconstructed Sicilian Buckwheat pancake with fresh ricotta, figs, choc chip, honey and crushed cannoli. Then there’s lunch, which ranges from spinach & ricotta ravioli with burnt butter sage to the Barbetta Polpetta Burger with grilled meatball, eggplant, tomato, provolone, cos and chilli aioli. Coffee, milkshakes, juices, smoothies and Italian soft drinks are available alongside mains and accompany (perhaps most notably) a range of gelato, Italian pastries, desserts and cakes made by Barbetta’s in-house pastry chef. Visitors can choose to enjoy their meal in-house, or grab a takeaway if time-short. For those after an activity, Brunetta also twice weekly cooking, boutique wine, and pasta-making workshops.