The welcome is warm, delivered by smart, friendly staff, and from the look of the diners crowding the tables (whether communal or for groups of four) they’re a pretty decent bunch who know a good thing when they see it.

It’s actually a nod to the menu being a “bastardisation” of Italian food. The chickpea fritters are a compelling take on the Sicilian staple. Crisp on the outside, creamy within, they’re a must-have on all return visits. Corn agnolotti? If these plump little parcels lolling in brown butter and showered with crisp sage and salty capers aren’t on typical Italian menus, they should be.

Serving garlic bread with the wagyu meatballs in red sauce might be considered eccentrico by traditionalists, but they’ll love it nevertheless. The wine list leans strongly to Italian and is easily navigated with help from the staff. Part of the stable clustered on a Surry Hills corner that includes Porteño and Wyno x Bodega, this fun eatery is yet another winning outing by a standout team. Bastardisation? Bring it on.

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