La Bella Vista

It’s a beautiful thing, properly done Italian cuisine, and Sydney’s La Bella Vista gives a truly Italian overview of just this at its Church Street restaurant. Booking a table here means your prospects are looking up if you’re on the hunt for authentic Italian food served in a relaxed and informal environment. It’s food just like mama makes, with the special Italian menu inviting you to dine just as you would in Italy for a fixed price per person. Look out for La Bella Vista along Parramatta’s buzzing Eat Street cafe and restaurant hub.

The simplest, and perhaps most representative, introduction to the fine Italian fare on offer at Parramatta’s standout Italian restaurant La Bella Vista is the Special Italian Menu. Grab a plate of spaghetti Bolognese, fettucine boscaiola, or penne Amatriciana to start, followed by veal saltimbocca alla Romana, veal limone, chicken with mushroom sauce, or a classic Parmigiana. Match with some contorni and take a glass of house red or white and you’re set for your authentic Italian lunch or dinner in this Sydney’s suburbs fondly nicknamed Eat Street (the Church Street dining hub).

La Bella Vista’s approach to Italian cuisine is as modern and forward-thinking as its stylish premises in Sydney’s Parramatta. The menu is structured according to Italian tradition, with antipasti (polenta with crispy mushrooms and black truffle), pasta and risotto (homemade gnocchi and fettuccine, risotto marinara), sides and mains (veal Siciliana and the indulgent mixed seafood cacciucco), and desserts (go for the affogato), but La Bella Vista likes to appeal to everyone: there’s a kids’ menu that doesn’t shy away from the Italian classics, and the chefs can tailor set banquet menus covering two- or three-courses (or more). And if you’re looking to celebrate, there’s room downstairs for 50 guests, or 30 seated al fresco, and an even more capacious 70-cover private function room alongside the main dining area.