Sciata's

A picture says a thousand words, so they say. Picture long, lively, balmy evenings spent with good friends old and new, at a streetside trattoria with the distant bells of the duomo tolling in the midnight hour with a distinct note of optimism for the equally languid day ahead. Picture this and then live the dream at Sydney’s Sciata’s, an authentic Italian ristorante found along North Strathfield’s Concord Road.

Sciata’s keep it simple, colourful, and delicious, as proper Italian dining should be. The ingredients that make it to kitchen, and then to table, at this understated North Strathfield restaurant are at the height of freshness, the menu is restrained and considered, and the results are fantastic. Dining at Sciata’s doesn’t require fanfare – there’s not a checkered tablecloth or leftover Chianti bottle in sight at Sciata’s Concord Road premises – it simply requires the attention of your senses, especially your tastebuds.

A simple garlic pizza, Neapolitan-style shallow-fried eggplant, arancini with gorgonzola, proper porpetti sauced meatballs (another classic from Napoli) served with bread baked fresh at Sciata’s Concord Road premises, and mouthwatering, briny whitebait fritters – these suffice for starters at this all-too-modest Sydney Italian restaurant. Progressing to pasta, the offering is similarly mater of fact, and with a distinct Neapolitan bent: gnocchi arrabbiata, spaghetti vongole. For one’s secondi piatti, go for the veal Siciliani, scalloped and prepared with eggplant, salami and a Neapolitan sauce. Many will want to book a table at Sciata’s simply for the pizza, one of North Strathfield’s best kept secrets, and once again it’s all Napoli – good, rustic Italian food for the body and soul.