Italian and Sons

Second visit, first review. Really authentic Italian food often utilising their wood fired oven, not pizza but dishes like homemade vegetarian lasagne and their speciality focaccia dishes. Extensive wine list featuring Italian wines from every major region. Their awards "brag wall" says it all! Great food with attentive service.

Went to dinner on a Friday night, and the overall experience was lovely (moreso because of the company). For starters we ordered the zucchini frites - all i can say is - bring back the zucchini flowers! The zucchini frites were essentially deep fried zucchini chips and were in desperate need of a sauce of some kind, I would've even taken ketchup. After a somewhat dry entree, we move to mains, were I got the tortelli and my partner got the lobster pasta - both were fantastic and delicious. We also got a side of the potatoes which were also nice and again, could have benefited from a dipping sauce. On to dessert, where I was most interested in revisiting my tiramisu dreams. Sadly it was not a dream, but a banana filled mess. The tiramisu was okay but with the banana flavour throughout this was not the tiramisu I so desired. Overall, service was good and friendly but food was a tad overpriced for what you got.

Fantastic experience. Servers were all very attentive even though I was just a 1-top. Highly recommend checking them out.

It was a busy place and we made booking about a week ago, because we were visiting from Sydney. Focaccia with chestnuts honey was impresssive, loved it! However, that was the only highlight of the dinner. We also ordered wood baked eggplant, smoked swordfish crudo, suckling lamb pasta and tiramisu. I had to say that they were all just average compared to the price, nothing woohoo! The service was good, waitress being nice and friendly, filling up water regularly during the dinner. However, won’t go again, not worth it.

Highly recommend! Such a delicious meal, fabulous attentive staff and warm atmosphere. This was our first visit and won't be our last! Wonderful selection of Entrees, Pastas and Desserts. Daily specials including Steaks. The Grilled Octopus was the most amazing Octopus I have ever eaten! Super tender and cooked to perfection! My husband had the Steak Special and it was also cooked to perfection! Compliments to the chefs!

Absolutely delicious meal. Busy given a Wednesday night but every dish well seasoned and tasty. Stand out was the caprese salad and the snapper with capponata. Simple done right. The tomatoes in the salad were firm and sweet, with the most delicious bright olive oil and salty cheese. Definitely worth visiting in Canberra.

If you are in Canberra then you have to come here and try this place. The wait staff are very friendly, knowledgeable with the dishes and seem to be happy working there. It’s always busy so best you book. The food is incredibly tasty. I know there has been some issues in the past with potentially small amounts of food on the plate. But I felt the portion size was good for me. Actually the food is incredible if I am to be honest. The only reason I didn’t score it a 5 star is because I can’t choose half a star for desert options. I felt they could do better in this department. Very fancy and nice tasting but needs to add one or two extra items. Or at least a slice of baked ricotta cheesecake 👍

We enjoyed a fantastic, delicious dinner on Tuesday night. The Tuscan pork melted in your mouth & the hand rolled chilli pasta with octopus & mussels was superb. Entrees of rosemary & sea salt focaccia , olives & peppers was a perfect start. Will definitely be coming back.

We need 10 stars, what a find in Canberra, the set menu to die for, service impeccable with Pearl really knowing her wines, a great owner, food beyond amazing. We will be back. A must visit if in Canberra.

A longtime fixture of Braddon, with subtle and really nice Italian flavors, staff who make great food and wine recommendations, and a nice intimate atmosphere. One of my favorite things is to pop in and sit by the window for a relaxed meal. Well worth it.

While I found the flavor and presentation of my dish (Duck Confit) to be exemplary, I have a couple issues with Italian and Sons: - at a $36 price, I expect a main course to be at least somewhat filling. Our plates (three of us ordered the confit) each consisted of one duck leg (maybe 100g), another ~80g of mashed potatoes, and 2-3 spears of asparagus. Yes, it was good, but this was the size of a dish you'd see on a multi-course tasting menu; not a main. - I ordered sourdough bread. At $4 i was not expecting an entire loaf, but enough to share as a starter for the table. We got maybe 8cm of bread that was borderline stale and cold in the middle. Overall, i do have to say the flavor of the main dish was exquisite. However, I'm capable of cooking 'gourmet' food for myself, and am not going to be fooled again into paying exorbitant prices for such small portions, especially if this establishment can't be bothered to deliver on fundamentals like fresh baked bread. 5 stars for flavor, but I have to decrement a couple stars until they get a little less stingy with their entrees and mains.

Overpriced for what is now ordinary Italian. Horrible wine. We have eaten at Italian and Sons many times since it opened in Braddon around 5 years ago and it was a favourite of us and many locals. However there has been a deterioration recently. They now just an ordinary Italian like many Italian restaurants yet still charge 5 star prices. Food 3 1/5 stars Wine list 1 star Service a too snooty 2 stars Wine is particularly bad. They are selling cheap bottles that cost 5 euros in Italy for $70 plus. You can't get anything for less on their wine list. Wine by the glass is also very expensive (for poor quality wine) $20 up and the pours are stupidly small. See the attached photo of how little they pour in a glass they charge $16 for. Food is now pretty ordinary Italian but priced as if it was extraordinary. Service is 'snooty'. Some people like that sort of thing. They will talk down to you. We had a corked bottle and they really tried to make us believe we we wrong and it was meant to taste that way! It really was off wine. After the last couple of visits we have decided we will not go back. If you are considering Italian and Sons for better wine food and service try alternatives like... Black Fire Wood and Coal In the area. And make sure you have a drink somewhere else before you go.

Excellent food. I was able to get in without a booking, but that's because I came early on a Thursday. I sat at the small front bar, but there were seats available if I had wanted one. I ordered a spinach and fig salad plus a goats curd tortellini. They were both delicious. Trendy atmosphere, beautiful lighting. The staff was attentive without being pushy. I saw online that they were well known for a great wine list, so that was a selling point. I should have figured this out before I went in, but I assumed they would have an extensive Aussie wine list. But of course, it's an Italian restaurant, so it actually has mostly Italian wines. I had one glass of a very good Sangiovese. I'm normally a fast eater, but this food was too good not to savor. I found myself pausing to enjoy the burnt sage butter on the tortellini. The pasta was perfectly al dente. The dressing on the spinach and fig salad was a bit sweet at first, mostly because I wasn't expecting it. But it worked with the figs and I grew accustomed to it, though they poured it on a bit heavy. I'l remember to ask for it lighter or on the side next time. I didn't discover the back room until I had finished my meal, but the restaurant is laid out like a train car, one room behind the other.

There are few things better in life than a good Italian restaurant, si? Happily, Italian & Sons pulls it off really well. The food is great; the staff are friendly and the setting works really well for sitting down and sharing a great meal. One of my favourite parts of the experience is the revolving weekly specials. It's a different special each day of the week, and they're the same between weeks, so you can go different days and get a different experience each time. They've got some great food on there. You do pay for it, however. At the price point they're in at, there still is a little je ne sais quoi (pulling from their neighbours) needed for 5 stars that they haven't quite nailed. I think it lies in the entrees and the desserts. They're good... but they're not quite spectacular. Still, I'm sure you'll find me back there on a regular basis. It's really good.

I went for dinner a couple of weeks ago with my wife and kids. We arrived just after 6 and were about the third table to arrive. We ordered promptly and the kids food arrived after about half an hour - good, but expensive as they don't offer any specials for kids. The entree I ordered to share with my wife arrived after about 50 minutes & was lukewarm at best. On at least three occasions we asked staff when our main meals would arrive and were repeatedly told "soon". After 90 minutes we got sick of them crying wolf and left without our main course arriving (a full hour after our kids were served). As if this experience wasn't bad enough when we went to pay the owner said "that should not have happened but there is nothing I can do about it". This is patently untrue, occasionally you experience bad service in a restaurant or there is a mix-up in the kitchen - most of the time they cannot do enough to make it up to you. I did not ask for a discount but was flabbergasted when I was charged $140 and I had to go round the corner to buy a hamburger...Our meals supposedly arrived after we paid - but by then we had enough of their rudeness and incompetence. Search "owner" on the Tripadvisor reviews and you will see this guy has a lot of bad form as being rude & obnoxious. This place is not worth it - go somewhere where they show some respect for their customers.

Food is ok. The service is terrible. Guys, you aren't doing us a favour when you serve us, we are simply customers. If you're not happy don't work in the hospitality industry.

Overpriced and overseasoned. The menu left us unimpressed but it really was the environment which left us wanting more. Packed and loud with back to back seating made for an uncomfortable dinner date. Upside - nice servers and wine list.

An outstanding dining experience........this restaurant has a real feel that starts when you walk through the door.The welcome is always warm and you can always start with a drink at the bar. The menu has a fixed element with a range of 'antipasti'.....the two standouts for us were the ocean trout with horseradish and fennel, and the wood fired crystal bay prawns with garlic........for a different starting option there are a range of wonderful cured meats and if you are looking for a great Pizza, you have a choice between the 'bianca' or 'rossa'....our favourite is the potate, stracchino, scarmoza, rosemary & pancetta. And then there are the specials of the night, Monday to Saturday. Friday is the night I look forward to with the fish of day, last time it was barramundi...so good. My partner preferred Tuesday nights special the wood roast suckling pig, rosemary, garlic, baked baby fennel and mustard fruits... The desert or the 'dolci' finish off a great night..try the tira mi su or if you like cheese, there is an excellent Italian range. The wine list is largely Italian ...it is well priced and a good quality. Now there is an important part to booking - there are broadly two sittings each night, one starting around 6.30 and the second around 8. If you want a great night of relaxed dining this is one of Canberra's best.

Wow, I love this place. Its what a good Italian feed should be. No fuss and all about the food. I was first taken here by two friends who are in the food industry and they know what what they are doing. Its fine Italian dining. The pizza is outrageously good, fine crust and delicate toppings like potato and rosemary. The blackboard menu changes depending on which night you choose. I love Tuesday, and why wouldn't you, its suckling pig. There are always seasonal changes depending on whats fresh, like figs wrapped in prosciutto. There are two sittings-one at 6.30 another at 8.30 There is a great little bar to have that pre dinner aperitif if the table is not ready. The service is always friendly and efficient, with views of the chefs in the open kitchen working their magic. The deserts are great too, with old favourites like pannacotta and tiramisu. Or finish you're meal with a palette cleaning gelato. No BYO but the imported wine list is extensive with a maitre d' who is willing and very knowledgable. I love this place.

This is the best restaurant in Canberra. The food is beyond amazing. Each night has a special in addition to the regular menu. We went on Tuesday and the wood fired pork was too good for words. The goat was also spectacular. Great food great atmosphere and the service is attentive and friendly. Do not miss it if in Canberra.

Definitely one of the best places to dine in Civic. The staff is friendly but not overbearing and the ambience just perfect for a slightly upmarket Italian restaurant. I don't understand the ongoing queues outside Jamie's Italian when this is the real deal. Perfectly al dente pasta, imaginative toppings and I would definitely recommend the endives!

Bold, refined takes on traditional Italian, with no pretentiousness and no apologies. Small, cozy venue with lovely touches throughout which turn the meal into an event. Great wine list, knowledgeable staff, fantastic food.

Arrived late (10pm) on a wet Saturday night. Restaurant was still full and pumping. Started by sharing a selection of antipasti (ocean trout, zucchini flowers and carpaccio) all three were delicious the trout being the pick of the three for the whole table. For mains I had the plate of the day (braised milk feed lamb) and it was perfection! Meltingly soft lamb, perfectly seasoned and a very generous portion. Chocolate torte for dessert was also excellent and generous though perhaps a little sweet. Service was faultless. Living less then 100 meters away I think I may have found my new local!

Very warm, fast, lovely service. Delicious entrées and mains with wide selections of cheeses and cured meats, but lacking for selection with desserts. Would highly recommend a visit to this restaurant!

I can't fault this sister/brother restaurant of Mezzalira. The decor and vibe is just a little bit more casual/laid back than Mezzalira. Also, although I didn't try them, Italian and Sons appears to specialise in pizzas and pastas (which looked and smelt amazing!) I went for one of the many main dish specials and got the cone bay barramundi with eggplant. I did end up ordering the green beans once the dish came out, as it wasn't quite big enough on its own for me, but the beans came very quickly - 2 mins I reckon! These guys always have a main dish of the night and then additional fish, pasta, meat specials. All sounded delish. I finished with the honey pannacotta with wine poached pear which was very yummy. The wait staff were very attentive and filled up my water with regular precision! Also, FYI, I was with a person in a wheelchair and the enter acne was around the back but easy enough to get to.

The food here was pretty good and there was a nice ambience, but the night was ruined by being shoved out the door when more diners wanted seats and this when we noticed other diners who had been there longer than us where not moved on.

Definitely one of the best Canberra has to offer. Fantastic service, the older Italian gentleman who temps you with a glass of prosecco every time you walk in makes you feel very welcomed. Fab décor and the food is wonderful. I love this tapas style of dining, sharing a small plate of something with friend, particularly when it's as good as Italian and Sons, is a joy.

No complaints about food - top quality. I felt the tables were a little close together and the vibe wasn't as relaxed as I usually like. Maybe it was just that the waiter seemed to have a higher opinion of himself than his clientele.

This has to be the best Italian restaurant in Canberra. Love it. The food is amazing and the ambient is cozy. It can get a bit loud in there, but this is part of the Italian fun :)