A night out at Pilu without paying big bucks? It can be done, if you know where to go. Sidestep the pretty white weatherboard restaurant, that’s renown for its Sardinian menu, and head to the smaller daytime cafe-kiosk.

When the sun goes down, it’s is all about that most Italian of concepts, aperitivo, restaurateur Giovanni Pilu explains.

Four nights a week over the summer months, this beach shack turns into a small bar, where you can drop in for a quick drink and nibbles, or stay on for dinner.

Baretto is intimate, mostly outdoors and blessed with a view over Freshwater beach.

The lower deck is exposed to the elements, although the upper deck is covered and does have drop down sides. But it is still weather dependent, so if a storm rolls in, staff have to cancel bookings and shut the venue.

It’s a different story on one of those still, summer evenings, when nothing could be nicer than al fresco dining with a glass of Vermentino right by the beach.

As you’d expect, the small wine list features boutique Italian, Sardinian and a couple of Australian wines by the glass. Prices hover around the $12-14 mark. Beer drinkers can sample Sardinian brews like an Ichnusa unfiltered lager, or Nomad Freshie Salt ‘n’ Pepper gose, a German beer brewed with seawater from the northern beaches brewery.

Three classic Italian cocktails embrace Happy Hour with the pinks, reds and orange of sunset. A 10-buck Bellini, Aperol Spritz or a negroni should bring a smile to your face.

The antipasto board has Happy Hour prices too. It’s platter of cured meats, two Italian cheeses, pecorino and taleggio, a bowl of mixed olives and a $25 price tag. The accompanying crispy, wafer-thin Sardinian flat bread is a nod to Pilu’s heritage. The salty, greasy flavours are great with a beer or a glass of wine, but not so good with a peachy, delicate fizz of a Bellini.

If you’re after more substantial eats than calamari fritti with smoked paprika aioli, Baretto has its own kitchen and uses the same quality suppliers as the award-winning restaurant next door. Move on from pre-dinner nibbles and there are heartier dishes like strozzapreti, a small pasta, which is served with lamb ragu and pecorino and slow-cooked salmon with tomato gazpacho, fennel pollen and cucumber.

Round off the night with something sweet and Italian, like the mascarpone mousse, strawberries and almond crumble, or embrace the night with a caffeine-loaded espresso martini.

When daylight saving ends, Baretto will be closed on Thursday night, but open Friday, and weekend evenings. The nature of the venue means the night-time bar will be closed in the depth of winter. However the kiosk is open for coffee and lunchtime eats like the signature suckling pig panino.

And it’s business all year at the stylish fine-diner. The restaurant will celebrate its 15th anniversary in 2019 with a number of special events. First up is the Last Days of Summer, a dinner showcasing the images of photographer Julie Adams, on February 28.