Geoff N.
Yelp
It ain't cheap. My last meal there came out to a touch over 90 a head. although that included wine. If you don't mind shelling out $30+ for a pasta main, please continue. If you a visceral reaction against paying that much for wheat and water (and that I can understand), then I don't suggest you come here.
Now, if you're still reading, I can recommend A Tavola very highly. I am a great fan of intimate dining and the restaurant upstairs is sufficiently divided into small spaces that you can enjoy your meal without being overwhelmed by noise or by crowds. The light level is low, good for romantic dinners (although I have yet to enjoy that personally. It's been friends and colleagues thus far).
The service is generally excellent. Food arrives at regular intervals; the meal is not rushed, but there are no gaping spaces between courses. Most of the proficient wait staff is Italian, from up and down the peninsula, and they seem fairly familiar with details of Italian cuisine: I've had a couple conversations with them about regional dishes and variations thereof. Their wine list, while not extensive, shows a fairly broad selection of Italian varietals--and again, the waitstaff seem quite familiar with what's on offer. The prices for the vino are perhaps a trifle high, but I understand that alcohol often subsidizes the cost of the food.
As for the food itself, I must base my review on the three meals I've had here. In addition to some pretty standard but tasty antipasti, they have some regular mains (the Bucatini all' Amatriciana, Rigatoni al Ragu and a few others) that are first rate. In addition, there are always a number of specials of the day that all look devastatingly edible. I've yet to try their ratatouille (which was on offer on two occasions) nor their fish soup (what my nonna would have called a cioppino). But on my last visit, I had a black linguine with lobster. Pasta, sauce and meat were all superb.
And that brings me to the pasta in general. It is actually quite difficult to get proper al dente pastas outside of Italy. Why this is the case, I am not sure. Whatever the reason, their homemade noodles are perfectly cooked. This alone to my mind makes coming to A Tavola worthwhile.
I wouldn't call this restaurant an every day affair, given its price. But I've no objection to paying a fair amount for really good food. Too often in Sydney and elsewhere, you can pay a lot for mediocre fare. Fortunately, A Tavola delivers.