Beloved Bondi boozer The Royal has welcomed a casual Italian eatery to its sun-dappled courtyard. Headed up by Mike Eggert and Khan Danis, Totti’s specialise in simple, generous Italian food designed to spill down the centre of the table. There’s plenty to get your buttons bursting from fresh fettuccine in tomato sugo to the 800g rib eye, cooked in the resident woodfire oven. Complete the feast with a Neapolitan ice-cream sandwich, best enjoyed in the sun. A retro drinks list, curated by bar manager Sam Egerton, includes old fashioned favourites, from white peach bellinis to lemon sorbet slushies. 283 Bondi Rd, Bondi; merivale.com/venues/tottis.

Sydney is in a spin over the playful pasta dishes and funky orange wines at Alberto’s Lounge, which has topped the annual delicious. 100 round-up of the most mouth-watering restaurants in NSW in 2019. Just when you think Italian is going to be predictable, Alberto’s swoops in with pickled cucumbers on a bed of tangy goat’s curd and burrata with eggplant caponata so silky you can eat it with a spoon. 17-19 Alberta St, Sydney; albertoslounge.com.

Neil Perry’s leading lady, Rosetta, is one of the city’s most refined spots for classic Italian fare. By day, light streams through the floor-to-ceiling windows creating the ideal atmosphere for a long lunch, while at night, the eatery takes on a twinkly feel, with gold-trimmed tables and emerald velvet chairs. Head chef Richard Purdue eschews the schmancy for simplicity, with a classic menu based around handmade pastas and bubbly woodfire pizzas. The menu includes thoughtfully matched wines, as well as an impressive selection of reserve drops, available by the half glass, glass and carafe, thanks to a Coravin system.

Offering a seamless experience from start to finish, this 18-year-old tratt has truly come of age. The beloved local was established by three good Italian boys – Marco Ambrosino and brothers Giovanni and Enrico Paradiso, who felt that Sydney deserved the kind of pasta joint that Melbourne takes for granted. While the place is famous for its pasta, don’t pass up the gorgonzola and caramelised fig risotto or the golden beetroot smothered in creamy buffalo curds. Those who hang around drinking Sangiovese until late need only take a quick nap before returning, with the all-day eatery opening again at 7. 12-16 Challis Ave, Potts Point; fratelliparadiso.com.

Dropping into 10 William Street for a glass of orange wine inevitably turns into snacks, then dinner, and dessert, and perhaps a few more late-night bites to soak up that second bottle of Trebbiano. Over the years, the kitchen has been manned by some of the country’s best chefs, from Dan Pepperell to Mike Eggert, their current head chef, Trisha Greentree notwithstanding. The menu may be short, but with options like whipped bottarga with pretzel, cacio e pepe chitarra and flan with burnt vermouth caramel, the decision-making is tough. 10 William Street, Paddington; 10williamst.com.au.

Gone is the old pub in Surry Hills and in its place rises a design-led establishment with some of Sydney’s best chefs at the helm. Executive chef Monty Koludrovic and his team have mastered the art of sophisticated Italian fare that feels impossibly simple and easy to eat. At the centre of everything is a wood-fired oven that pumps out northern Italy-style pizzas, with toppings like buffalo mozzarella, spicy nduja sausage and broccoletto. With bars upstairs, downstairs, inside and out, the restaurant is just as popular for wine and snacks as it is a sitdown meal. A 30+ page wine menu by group sommelier James Hird borders on overwhelming – but hey, it’s not like having too much choice in wine is really a problem. 412 Crown St, Surry Hills; dolphinhotel.com.au.

If you don’t have your own Italian family table to sit down at, you can always join the one at A Tavola. The narrow Darlinghurst venue revolves around its long, communal table, where diners sit side by side, like at a big family gathering. You’ll want to base your whole meal around their big hearty bowls of Italian-style pasta, from buccatini in a gutsy red sauce of cured jowl and smoked chilli to the rigatoni in a velvety pork and veal ragu. The all-Italian wine list is up against serious competition from the cocktails, with many of the mixed drinks based around earthy Italian amaro, Montenegro. 348 Victoria St, Darlinghurst NSW. atavola.com.au.

This candlelit trattoria in Alexandria is the perfect spot for a date night or just a couple of people that love their carbs. Salumi and formaggi head up the menu, with favourites like mortadella and gorgonzola alongside lesser-known regional specialities like the Norcia salame studded with ghost chillies or the oozy-centred Bert Tre Latte cheese. Pastas come in all shapes and sizes, from the saffaron gigli made from fluted ruffles tossed with sausage ragu and the tubular mezze maniche tumbled with fresh seafood in a sweet tomato sugo. Finish with the millefoglie and everything will be right with the world.

You won’t get much closer to the water (without getting get) than at this waterfront fine diner, which is quite literally positioned on the D’Albora Marina. Executive chef Alessandro Pavoni and head chef Victor Moya use the degustation format to take diners on a trip through Italy, with each dish inspired by a different region. Traditional dinnerwares makes way for creative plating, with morsels arriving on whittled wooden ornaments and unpolished stone, which manage to enhance the experience, rather than distract from it. The award-winning wine list, created by Davide Coccia, pays tribute to all the great Italian grapes, or if you have a special bottle at home, you can even bring your own. D’Albora Marinas, Spit Rd, Mosman; ormeggio.com.au.

Located at the peak of the Hemmes CBD temple, Uccello brings Amalfi Coast vibes to Sydney’s inner city. Head chef Ben Sitton has built his menu around high-quality produce that has been treated with minimal fuss. A stone oven is used to cook core proteins, from Yambo prawns split down the middle and souped with chilli, parsley and garlic butter to a whole Bannockburn chicken with salt baked heirloom carrots. There’s no shortage of wines on the hefty list, which includes 450 drops from amarone to zibibbo.