Il Pergolato Italian Restaurant
Editorial
A street away from the bustle of Norton, this quaint Italian ristorante is wedged between houses in Leichhardt suburbia. The Italian flag dancing in the wind hints at the gastronomic treasures you'll find inside. Serving dinner from Tuesday to Sunday, the family owned and operated Il Pergolato also caters for functions of up to 60 guests. The dining room is cute and cosy, with dark bricks brightened up by red and white layered tablecloths, and maps and murals dotting the walls. Wander out the back to discover a charming, hidden courtyard where guests feast under rambling vines and hanging lanterns. A piano in the corner invites diners to tickle the ivories, adding to the restaurant's jolly Italian atmosphere.
Front of house is run by the charming and helpful Maria, while the kitchen is left in the capable hands of her husband, chef Alfio Crupi. Begin with delicious barbecued octopus in a garlic, chilli and olive oil marinade, some deep-fried whitebait with an addictive tartare sauce, or perhaps a freshly baked focaccia. The seafood grill is a kitchen specialty, with its scrumptious medley of prawns, perch, calamari, baby octopus and mussels topped with grilled bacon, olive oil and lemon. The filetto Diana is praised for its homemade sauce of Worcestershire, brandy and garlic, smothered over steak. Finish with a dollop of gelato or a tot of Italian wine.
Lauren Barker, April 2009
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