10 of the Best Family-friendly Italian Restaurants in Sydney

From cheese-laden pizzas to mouth-wateringly saucy pastas, chances are your kids love carbs in all their delicious forms. And what better way to carb load than at a loud, buzzy Italian restaurant in Sydney where the whole family is welcome, no matter their dining table shenanigans?

Whether you're after authentic fare straight from nonna's recipe book, or a filling feast to satisfy the masses, here are some of Sydney's must-try trattorias.

The Best Italian Restaurants in Sydney For Families

1. Matteo Sydney

Dreaming of a trip to the Amalfi Coast? Enjoy the next best thing by packing up the family to visit this bright and airy eatery that boasts classic Southern Italian fare that's sure to please big and little kids alike.

Matteo have two locations in Double Bay and Sydney's CBD, with their extensive pizza menu catering for even the fussiest eater (the slow cooked ragu pizza with basil and buffalo mozzarella is our pick). Meanwhile, lush pastas such as Sardinian fregola with seafood will transport your tastebuds, plus, there's a dedicated vegan menu to tick all the dietary boxes.

For the perfect post-meal treat, the to-die-for chocolate bombolini or house made mini magnums are a great pick that won't send the little ones into a sugar frenzy.

Locations:
CBD - 20 Bond Street
Double Bay - 29 Bay Street

RELATED:
Where to go for All-you-can-eat Pizza in Sydney

2. Italian Street Kitchen

For authentic Italian dishes made with love – and fresh pasta made daily! – head to sleek and stylish Italian Street Kitchen with locations all over Sydney, from Bella Vista to Neutral Bay, Parramatta, and Penrith.

Not only are their wood-fired pizzas some of the tastiest in town, but also the sight of bustling chefs busily preparing them is sure to keep the kids occupied while they wait for their piping hot pies to hit the table.

With ham and pineapple pizza-making a much-appreciated appearance on the kids' menu, all kids' meals are also served with a scoop of vanilla gelato. Bellissimo!

Locations:
Bella Vista - G02, 11 Solent Circuit
Neutral Bay - 5/19-21 Grosvenor Street
Parramatta - Shop 1, 180 George Street
Penrith - 123 Mulgoa Road

3. Fratelli Fresh

Treating the whole clan to classic Italian dishes in warm and welcoming surrounds has never been easier thanks to the friendly folk at Sydney staple Fratelli Fresh.

With spacious and inviting interiors (perfect for those with prams or needing high chairs), there are five family-friendly Italian restaurants in Sydney, including Darling Harbour and Manly, for those on an adventurous day out and too tired to trudge around finding a family-friendly eatery.

Got a fussy eater on your hands? The kids' menu includes chicken nuggets and chips (not traditionally Italian but hey, if it means your child eats dinner, who cares?), and the fallback feed of spaghetti with butter and parmesan.

Locations:
Darling Harbour - 2/14 Darling Drive
Entertainment Quarter - 211 Bent Street
Manly - 54 West Esplanade
Westfield Sydney - Level 5, Westfield Sydney
Westfield Miranda – Floor 2, Westfield Miranda

4. Via Napoli

Feeding a crowd? Look no further than Via Napoli, who serve up some of the most delicious pizzas around (over 20 types, in fact), and also dish them up in a whopping one-metre slab. Yep, that's right. One whole metre of cheesy, meat and veg-laden dough that's sure to silence any whines of "I'm hungryyyyy" and leave you with a table of quiet carb-coma children.

If snacking is more your style, the bolognese arancini, and slow cooked wagyu meatballs in tomato sugo are divine, while the Via Napoli Antipasto Board groaning with meats, cheese, calamari, garlic prawns, olives, and focaccia takes the guesswork out of dinner after a long day.

Locations:
Lane Cove - 141 Longueville Road
Surry Hills - 628 Crown Street

5. Sella Vinoteca

Make the most of the sunshine at Sardinian gem Sella Vinoteca, conveniently located across from the fabulous Inglis Park playground in Randwick. It's a great place to divide and conquer with one parent ordering food and a sneaky Aperol Spritz, while the other less lucky parent is tasked with wearing the kids out on the slides and swings until the food is ready.

Another one of our favourite Italian restaurants in Sydney for when you're sick of cooking yet another stodgy kid-friendly meal (seriously, how many ways can you serve mince?), treat your tastebuds to a holiday with luscious king prawns with salsa verde, vibrant saffron tagiolini with rocket pesto, and flavour-packed wagyu beef capaccio.

Location: Shop 6/162-164 Barker Street, Randwick

6. La Botte D'Oro

Got a craving for handmade pasta? Inner West favourite La Botte D'Oro will sort you out with their incredible carbonara or norcina (which sees Italian sausage, mushrooms, truffle, and white wine come together in a heavenly culinary combination).

Even better – if the cost-of-living crisis has seen you cutting back on nice meals out, take advantage of their Kids Eat Free nights on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, with little ones choosing from a variety of yummy pasta, pizzas or chicken schnitzel with chips.

Oh, and did we add that corkage is only $3 a person? #bargain

Location: 137 Marion Street, Leichhardt 

7. Skinny Tony's

If you're looking for grub with a side of relaxing park views and loads of green space for the kids to run wild, make tracks to Skinny Tony's in The Home Grounds food hub within Five Dock Park.

Proudly boasting that they're the first pizza restaurant in Australia to have a zero carbon footprint and partnering with Aussie farms dedicated to sustainable practices, the hardest part will be picking something from Skinny Tony's endless menu. There's a dedicated BBQ Grill section, which includes juicy ribs, tender skewers, and a sweat-inducing BBQ meat board, as well as lush seafood options (hello, lobster mornay). In the mood for pizza? Give your favourite toppings a glow up with the excellent option to add burrata.

Location: 20b Barnstaple Road, Five Dock

8. Karoo & Co

A café by day and a pumping pizzeria by night, Karoo & Co is the place to go when you want a guaranteed good feed.

With two locations in Wahroonga and St Ives, choose from tasty classic and gourmet style pizzas (pork belly with fior di latte, anyone?) made using premium ingredients, and deliciously decadent pastas that include penne pollo, chilli prawn linguine, and beef ragu.

If your children are bored of the usual kids' menu suspects of spag bol and margherita pizza, they'll be pleased to know there's a Karoo Meat Lovers and creamy boscaiola on offer here. Pair it with an old-school ice-cream float and there'll be blessed silence while the whole family happily tucks into their meals.

Locations:
St Ives - 205 Mona Vale Road
Wahroonga - 4/178 Fox Valley Road

9. Da Orazio

If you haven't yet made it to this coastal gem and tried their melt-in-your-mouth porchetta, it's time to book a table stat, because anyone who has tried the Focaccia Con Porchetta at Da Orazio will know that this is one life-changing bite that's worth driving anywhere from Sydney for.

Add in other elevated classics like Orazio Spicy Vodka Rigatoni, and the Puccia pizza with mortadella, burrata and zucchini, and it's the perfect place to refuel after swimming the day away at nearby Bondi Beach. Bonus points for the Mickey Mouse Prosciutto pizza that's sure to get the tick of approval from even the harshest of tiny restaurant critics!

Location: Shop LG 09, 75/79 Hall Street, Bondi

10. The Italian Bowl

If you're blessed with picky offspring who haven't quite grasped the concept of ordering off the menu without changing it to suit their very specific (and annoying) needs, The Italian Bowl are here to help.

Located smack bang on Newtown's bustling King Street, this good-vibes-only institution has 20 pasta sauces (their aglio e olio king prawns is excellent) to pair with your preferred type of pasta, from fettuccini, ravioli or gnocchi. There's also hearty baked risottos and a whopping selection of loaded schnitzels. You can't go wrong with the garlic bread either – it'll set you back just 5 bucks.

Location: 255 King Street, Newtown

More Restaurants to Visit With the Family

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