La Pesa

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La Pesa

If you want to get a real Italian experience without leaving Sydney, make tracks to La Pesa in Darlinghurst. I have been to many Italian restaurants over the years but La Pesa really impressed me because I actually felt as if I was back in Italy.

Recently opened, this trattoria is in the old Tre Scalini location on Liverpool Street, perfect for city lunches but also dining at night when the restaurant really comes into its own with romantic tables for two or a separate party space for 12.

Owned by the beautiful Maki and Michael, it is similar to the original La Pesa in Milan which Maki co-owned for five of the nine years she lived in that part of Italy.

In Milan, La Pesa is a little bit off the beaten track but still close enough to the city centre to be a popular favourite. La Pesa in Sydney is building up to the same thing.

A lot of thought has gone into furnishing the restaurant, the hand-crafted wooden table with their rich wood, the dark wooden chairs that look as if they have been there forever

and even the alcoves with displays of bottles that look like they should have cobwebs

but don’t.

The menu is typical of food found in the Lombardia region of Italy, great osso buco, tasty risotto and unbelievable gnocchi fritto (I could live on that alone!)

The high ceilings give the restaurant a sense of space while the black and white photographs by celebrated Milanese photographer, Virgilio Carnisio, a wedding present to Maki and Michael, tell an interesting story of Milan.

When asked why Italy and Milan in particular, Maki explained “While living in Milan I was both inspired and overwhelmed by the Italian passion for food and family. Coming from a more reserved dining culture, I quickly fell in love with the vitality of it all, and now this is my attempt to bring a slice of raw Italy to Sydney. La Pesa seeks to capture the very essence of the Italian culture, and to educate Sydneysiders on the real taste of Milan.

We have Milanese chefs for a reason, and the food and culture are both so beautiful,

we have no need to dress it up”.

Head chef Marco De Vecchi has produced a menu that really shows the diversity of northern Italian cuisine. From the mouth watering L’Ossobuco in Gremolata con Risotto Giallo all Milanese (best risotto I have ever had in Sydney) to the Ravioli di Cinghiale (made with braised boar), meat lovers are sure to be satisfied.

Remembering that this is a typically meat eating area of a country that does not necessarily think too highly of vegetarians, there are plenty of vegetarian options: Carpaccio di Melanzane e Pomodoronio con la burrata – a delightful combination of creamy burrata mozzarella served with chilled eggplant and roasted tomatoes or Le Crespelle di Magro con la Besciamella – Oven baked pancakes with ricotta and spinach.

(Italians do not cater for vegetarians because there are so many meals made with

vegetables and eating these is regarded as normal food. For a person to go into a

restaurant and say they are vegetarian, this is an open invitation to comment)

The dessert list is full of the old standards: Tiramisu and Semi-Freddo, however, they are handmade on the premises and truly flavoursome.

The wine list is full of real gems chosen by Michael. “I’d rather carry a great selection of wines, than a huge selection of wines. I want to remain true to the authenticity of the place, and create a ‘total experience’ for diners, which is why we have such a strong regional focus with our wines and our food. However, we still strive to support local industries by using fresh Australian produce and featuring Australian and New Zealand wines. Undeniably, such a strict concept is hard work, but it is always worth it. You can’t beat the satisfaction of watching people have their own unique experience, in what is essentially your home.”

In an area full of restaurants, La Pesa stands out for its ‘genuiness’ as many Italian technical wine notes put it. A real little part of Milan here in the heart of Sydney.

La Pesa Trattoria