Tucked away in an unassuming alleyway in Surry Hills is a cosy restaurant serving up an ever changing selection of delectable Italian dishes. This was my third visit to Alberto’s lounge and whilst some dishes were as good as ever, their rotation of pastas this time did disappoint.

Location: 17-19 Alberta Street, Sydney NSW
Price: Mains and pastas ~$30-50, entrees ~$23+

Melissa: Unfortunately a 7/10 for this visit, dragged down by the dry pappardelle dish

For starters, we ordered the burrata and crudo (scallops) with a side of focaccia. I had ordered the burrata before, but this version had the added sweetness of the fig that went well with the milky burrata. The focaccia and olive oil is a must get if you are ordering the burrata, a perfect complement to eat alongside the cheese. I order it every time I visit because the combination of light burrata with the heady olive oil and focaccia is delicious.

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The scallops came with capers and brown butter and tiny slices of radish(?). The creaminess of the scallops was paired well with the sweeter brown butter sauce and offset by the saltiness of the capers. This was a perfect starter to whet the appetite and I would definitely recommend.

The first pasta we ordered was the pappardelle, which I’ve had in another form on a previous visit. This came serves with a veal osso buso, saffron and a healthy dose of parmesan. Sadly this one disappointed me, the sauce to pasta ratio was not great and made for an overly dry pasta. I’ve definitely had it better before at the restaurant before. Overall relatively unmemorable, I would say the pappardelle at Flour Eggs Water won the race by a mile.

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Final dish for the night was the spaghetti with pippies, chilli, garlic and breadcrumbs. Spaghetti and pippies is a winner combination for me and the garlic and chilli (but not too chilli) only complimented the dish more. Not a huge fan of breadcrumbs on pasta but overall a very delectable dish.

Overall, Alberto’s is a cute little date night venue, perfect for catching up with friends or a partner. Although I was sorely disappointed by the pasta offerings available at the time of my visit, I have been before and the pasta has been delicious. That being said the menu changes over time and I would recommend a visit to try out the place if you’re looking for something a little more special. Prices are on the higher end for a non-fine dining esque venue, but the service is amazing, so worth the visit if you are looking for a nice location for a date.