Daniel Boud
REVIEW
Anchovy toast has gained peak popularity, but Alberto’s Lounge takes the road less travelled, serving up umami-rich sardine pâté on triangles of crisp-fried crostoli. It’s a snack that embodies head chef Elizabeth Mitchell’s fun-loving and singular spirit with aplomb. This is an old-school trattoria seen through a Spaghetti Western lens, complete with natural wines, retro posters, Italo-disco tunes and personable service to match. The assured menu brings together Italian custom and personality, from an unmissable entrée of seared tuna doused in clear, tomato-fragrant acqua pazza to silky hand-cut pappardelle coated in gratifying beef short-rib ragù heady with saffron and red wine. It’s a place where you order dessert – scoops of ambrosian orange-and-bay sorbetto and buffalo-yoghurt gelato that summon memories of Weis Bar summers – and call for another bottle. And while it may no longer be the new kid on the block, Alberto’s is as exuberant as ever.
ABOUT
Alberto’s Lounge
Italian
17-19 Alberta St, Sydney
(02) 9232 0881
swillhouse.com/venues/albertos-lounge
Chef Elizabeth Mitchell
Price guide $
Bookings Recommended
Wheelchair access Yes
Open Lunch Thu-Sun; Dinner daily
This review was written independently for the Gourmet Traveller Restaurant Guide. The guide’s reviewers visit unannounced and pay their way. To learn more about this process, head over here.
Gourmet Traveller Annual Restaurant Guide
Our guide gives a yearly snapshot of the best restaurants to eat at right now. The best-rated restaurants, as judged by the reviewers’ first-hand experience, form our national guide.
