CAFE > Barbetta, Paddington (16/20)

In the 1980s and 1990s Oxford Street Paddington was alive with the smartest cafe’s, it was where the hip people went to congregate. Then the rents went up and suddenly it seemed like the whole strip closed up overnight. But today while it has recovered some of the luxury brands, the real action is hidden in the streets behind. Barbetta is place that people seek out, they are happy to wait for a table and they stay for a coffee, a drink, breakfast lunch or more. 

AMBIENCE >

Tucked just off Oxford Street, Barbetta feels like someone has taken a luminous Roman caffè, stretched it out along Elizabeth Street and filled it with Paddington locals who have absolutely no intention of rushing anywhere. Sunlight hits the big front windows, bouncing off white walls, terrazzo, marble and buttery leather banquettes that make even a quick macchiato feel like an occasion. Framed vintage prints, shelves lined with tins of Italian tomatoes and pantry staples, and a glass cabinet glistening with bomboloni and crostate set the scene somewhere between neighbourhood café, inner-city trattoria and old‑school provedore.

There is a constant, conversational hum – families sharing lasagne, double‑shot regulars at the bar, glam couples lingering over Negronis – but it never tips into chaos; the room runs on the quiet choreography of staff who actually look pleased to see you.

EAT >

Barbetta’s menu reads like a greatest hits compilation of Italian daytime comfort food, with just enough Sydney polish to keep things interesting. In the morning, that might mean their award‑winning avocado on toast, built on good bread and dressed up with considered details, or eggs tangled with grilled greens, pecorino and chilli that wake you up without shouting. The cabinet is hard to ignore: sfogliatelle, ricotta‑filled bomboloni and seasonal tarts that work as either breakfast or dessert, ideally with a second coffee.

By lunch, the heartbeat of the room is pasta. Lasagne – billed, with some justification, as the “best ever” – arrives with proper structure: slow‑cooked ragù, silky béchamel and burnished edges that crackle softly under the fork. Elsewhere, you might find zucchini fritters with a glass of wine, or an Insalata Barbetta that turns savoy cabbage, pine nuts, raisins, pecorino and pancetta into something you think about days later. Portions lean more Milan than mega‑plate; you are here for quality of ingredients and clean, bright flavours rather than a food coma.

DRINK >

Coffee is non‑negotiable here, and they know it. Shots are tight and aromatic, milk work is confident, and there is enough depth in the blend to stand up to sugar, oat milk or that extra‑hot cappuccino order you pretend isn’t yours. Those not on caffeine can detour into fresh juices or Italian softs, but the real fun starts once the clock nudges past midday.

Barbetta wears its Italian DNA proudly on the drinks list: think spritzes, Americanos and Negronis alongside a short but focused run of Italian and Australian wines. A glass of Barbera or a chilled white from the peninsula makes easy company for a bowl of pasta or a plate of salumi, while an afternoon espresso corretto feels exactly right in a room that flirts so heavily with the idea of an all‑day holiday.

CONCLUSION >

Barbetta is one of those rare Sydney cafés that manages to be many things at once – serious about food and coffee, relaxed about everything else – without losing its centre. Come for a quick flat white and a pastry, stay for lasagne and a spritz, and leave with a jar of something for your pantry plus plans to book into dinner at the family’s trattoria across town.

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Image Credit | ALMANAK & BARBETTA

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