Authentic Italian in Newtown at Rosalina Restaurant

For an authentic Italian dining experience, look no further than Rosalina Italian Restaurant in Newtown.

I say experience, because that’s what dining there truly is. It starts when you enter the restaurant when you’re approached your host Roberto and shown a seat. Roberto is all you imagine an Italian restaurateur to be. He’s warm and generous, and more than a little bit cheeky. He lingers to chat just long enough to make you feel cared for. The menu is just as generous, with so many options on the regular menu and a full specials board as well. We really had no choice but to order entrees and mains; there were just too many choices to do anything else!

Roberto collected our orders and told me how he approved of my selections; garlic prawns for an entrée and gorgonzola gnocchi for a main. When the food arrived, I could taste why he was so enthusiastic about these dishes. The prawns were plump and sweet, sizzling in delicious garlicky oil. The gnocchi was ridiculously rich, but that creamy blue cheese sauce was delicious. It made my mouth zing, and there were times when I wondered whether I could finish my generous plateful. Something tells me Roberto wouldn’t have approved if I’d left anything behind though.

Indeed he made a fuss when he collected our plates, and hoped that we’d be back to dine again. I’m sure we will. After all, we have all those menu options to sample!

Trading hours: Lunch on Fridays and Saturdays, dinner 6 pm to midnight daily
Location: Rosalina Italian Restaurant (map)
Address: Corner of King Street and Queen Street, Newtown
Public transport: The restaurant is a short walk from MacDonaldtown train station
Parking: Limited street parking
Cost: Average price for a main and an entrée is around $35
Website: http://www.rosalinarestaurant.com/

Image source: Sarah Barth @ Stock.xchng