Giovanni Pilu and Marilyn Annecchini, Flaminia, the duo behind beachfront icon Pilu at Freshwater, pulled off a seachange to pull in next to the ferry wharves at Circular Quay. Expanding from the Sardinian focus of their flagship, Flaminia explores the cuisine of port towns around Italy, with a menu arranged by region offering an antipasto, pasta, main and dessert for each. Deep dive into one, or skip between many on a culinary tour of coastal Italy. Level 2, 61 Macquarie Street, Sydney Pullman Quay Grand Sydney Harbour, Sydney CBD; flaminia.com.au

The exterior of Attenzione! Redfern, a red light and glass window

Al fresco seating out from of Cibaria Manly, Sydney

This smart and chic pizza place in the Hall Street dining precinct of Bondi has been through a couple of iterations, but the important things remain – the pizza, the porchetta and the fun, Italian beach-club vibe. Look past the extraordinary, deservedly famous focaccia con porchetta for a moment and turn to the pizza. The bases here are biga-style fermented, so they’re light, both crispy and pillowy at once with high, puffy crusts. You can’t go wrong, but we love the Siciliana featuring San Marzano tomato, smoked fior di latte, eggplant, fresh ricotta and basil. 75/79 Hall St, Bondi Beach; daorazio.com.au.

Having already conquered the French bistro, hospo trio Dan Pepperell, Michael Clift and Andy Tyson have turned their attention to the tratt. Their latest locale, Pellegrino 2000, is our number one spot for fresh pasta, focaccia, fritto misto and more. Located in a two-storey former terrace, you’ll want to book well in advance if you’re to score a spot in the retro-inspired dining room, or better yet, the candle-lit dine-in wine cellar downstairs. But surprisingly, some of the best seats are out on the street. A dedicated wine window is the perfect place to stop for a sangiovese and snack. 80 Campbell St, Surry Hills NSW. pellegrino2000.com.

Mirrors. Marble. Metres of leather and carpet. a’Mare is Alessandro and Anna Pavoni’s no-expense-spared monument to Italian cuisine, spanning two levels and 250 seats, with tables both inside and out boasting water views. When time allows, service flirts with theatricality, rendering the grandiosity more intimate and personal. In order to enjoy it to the fullest, you’ll have to pay to play, but what you’re here for is a vision of the cucina vera that revels unapologetically in romance and luxury. Crown Sydney, Level 1/1 Barangaroo Ave, Barangaroo NSW. crownsydney.com.au/indulge/amare

Not all who wander are lost. And if they’re wandering down the nondescript Alberta St towards Alberto’s Lounge’s tucked-away entry, you can be certain they know where they’re going. With its shelves stacked with Italian and natural wines, soundtrack of funk and soul records, and patchwork of retro posters and eclectic art, it’s as ineffably cool as ever. Elizabeth Mitchell stepped up as head chef this year, and is carrying on the legacy of founding father Dan Pepperell. 17-19 Alberta St, Sydney NSW. albertoslounge.com

Bastardo. Is it a reference to the management? A characterisation of the service? A call-out to the type of patron the team favours? No, nulla, niente. It’s actually a nod to the menu being a “bastardisation” of Italian food. Serving garlic bread with the wagyu meatballs in red sauce might be considered eccentrico by traditionalists, but they’ll love it nevertheless. Bastardisation? Bring it on. 50 Holt St, Surry Hills NSW. porteno.com.au

Few venues have captured the hearts of Sydney’s diners like 10 William St, let alone managed to keep them for 12 years. Dispatched from the tiny kitchen are plates of salumi, followed by fresh tagliatelle ribbons swimming in a rich duck ragu and orecchiette tossed in a broccoli pesto and adorned with a dusting of pangrattato. Sealing the deal is the tiramisu with its decadent, egg-yolk-rich zabaglione. Sit at the bar for a piece of the action or nab the table by the window – either way, you’ll be back. 10 William St, Paddington NSW. 10williamst.com.au

Did Sydney need another place slinging pasta? Well, yes, as it turned out. Ragazzi, a tiny diner on a CBD laneway, is the Italianate joint Sydneysiders didn’t know they needed, putting the focus tightly on the handcrafted pasta dishes produced by chef and co-owner Scott McComas-Williams (late of Sydney’s Movida and Bacco Osteria). There are no secondi here to distract from the main event, but the antipasti offering is no afterthought. 1 Angel Pl, Sydney NSW. ragazziwineandpasta.com

The team behind Bella Brutta is a who’s who of Sydney hospitality – think Elvis Abrahanowicz, Joe Valore and Sarah Doyle of Porteno and Continental Deli Bar and Bistro, and Luke Powell of LP’s Quality Meats. Here the charred, thin bases are chewy and almost sour thanks to the long fermentation of dough made from Australian wholegrain and Italian flours. Forget the best pizza place, Bella Brutta might also have the best actual pizza in Sydney; clam pizza with fermented chilli, lemon juice, fresh parsley and a zig zag of toasted garlic oil. 135 King St, Newtown; bellabrutta.com.au.

In a world of unwelcome surprises, it’s comforting to know that some things never change. Step forward, Fratelli Paradiso. Opened in 2001 by brothers (“fratelli”) Giovanni and Enrico Paradiso, it’s an Italian outpost of consummate charm and great cooking on one of Potts Point’s prettiest streets. A crew of mostly Italian waitstaff marshal diners – who are often waiting hopefully on the street by the tables that spill onto the footpath – and greet locals like long-lost friends. The wines are almost exclusively Italian, with special pours listed on the board. Raise a glass to 21 years and counting of a much-loved institution. 12-16 Challis Ave, Potts Point NSW. fratelliparadiso.com

Alessandro Pavoni and Victor Moya’s institution is infused with the soul of Southern Italy. The dining room with its white stucco walls, rattan furniture and well-loved Turkish rugs resembles a luxe beach house, overlooking yachts bobbing in d’Albora Marina. A meat-free menu inspired by the Puglia region revolves around sustainable seafood – MSC-certified swordfish cooked over charcoal and plated with zucchini and basil cream is as satisfying as any steak; grilled Aquna murray cod sings with tomato pil-pil and black olives. The wine list is an encyclopaedia of Italian varietals; a bottle of DOCG sparkling Franciacorta ideal for the feast to come. The signature delizia al limone is a theatrical finale – the meringue topping seared by a blowtorch tableside, then finished with a zest of lemon that fills the room with the scent of citrus. It’s the Amalfi coast, by way of Mosman. D’Albora Marinas, Spit Rd, Mosman; ormeggio.com.au