A waiter bows comically as he proudly announces bucatini al’Amatriciana as a signature dish of his hometown Roma, loudly rolling his ‘Rs’ as he places it at the table. It’s a pasta that certainly deserves an introduction – the tangled spool of bucatini, a thick, spaghetti-like pasta, is doused in a smoky sauce of cured pork cheek, tomato, chilli and onion.

Rustic traditional Italian fare like this is the specialty of chef Eugenio Maiale, from 10-year-old Darlinghurst gem A Tavola. The atmosphere is one of unadulterated conviviality at the communal table that runs through the restaurant, the signature design feature a nod to the Mediterranean ethos of sharing good food, a tavola (at the table).

Ebullient Italian waiters gesticulate wildly as they speed through the consigli, a blackboard with daily changing handmade pastas and seasonal dishes. In addition to this is a menu of house favourites, which might include a dish from Veneto that’s a buttery pool of soft polenta topped with warm discs of salami and truffle oil. It’s creamy and salty – almost too rich on its own but the perfect foil for a herbaceous Negroni.

An all-Italian wine list showcases familiar pinot grigio and sangiovese, and extends to a dry, minerally pecorino, and the Piedmontese big red, Barbera. Plates are wiped clean with house-made focaccia, in the Italian tradition of ‘fare la scarpetta’ – the sign of a meal very well enjoyed.

A Tavola puts classic Italian food on the table with an ethos that favours simplicity and authenticity over fancy new-age tricks.

Must eat dish: The house signature pasta – silky pappardelle coated in a pork shoulder ragu
Instagram: @atavola