For World Pasta Day (25 October), we’ve rounded up some of the world’s best Italian restos and the dishes to loosen up your belt buckles for. Come for trad trattorias, Sicilian sizzlers and rustic kitchens all the way from New York, Hong Kong and Rome to Singapore. Buon appetito!
Circolo Popolare, London
Elaborate wine walls, hanging vines and festoon lights paired with jolly Italian servers. Brace yourself for another jaw-drop when pastas and metre-long pizzas get whisked to yours truly on Sicilian ceramics. Expect cocktails in funky mugs.
What to order: The mafaldine al tartufo for the carb-to-sauce ratio.
Circolo Popolare, 40-41 Rathbone Pl, Fitzrovia, London, bigmammagroup.com
Tipo 00, Melbourne
Park your bot on a bentwood at this piccolo pasta master for primo flava-packing tortellini, braised duck and porcini gnocchi, and stinging nettle risotto. Carb-oom!
What to order: The squid-ink pasta comes recommended from veteran chef Sarah Chan.
Tipo 00, 361 Little Bourke St, +61 3 9942 3946, tipo00.com.au
Carbone, Hong Kong
Retro, red-sauce Italian-American goes glam at the Torrisi team’s kitschy-kool and fission-hot (but pricey) spot, inspired by The Godfather and reminiscent of the city’s heyday. Generous portions and complimentary limoncello and grappas ease the burn, as do the easy-on-the-eyes clientele and even the smart, Zac Posen-clad waitstaff.
What to order: Their famous spicy rigatoni vodka.
Carbone, 9/F, LKF Tower, 33 Wyndham St, Central, Hong Kong, carbone.com.hk
Lupa Osteria Romana, New York
Batali junkies bumrush for honest Romanesque cuisine in this earthy and charming taverna, replete with all-brick archways, flickering candles, perfect pasta, plus a vast vino selection and wine tastings.
What to order: Mich-starred classic cacio e pepe.
Lupa Osteria Romana, 170 Thompson St, West Village, New York, +212 982 5089, luparestaurant.com
Trattoria der Pallaro, Rome
The old-school trattoria of your dreams. This simple, rustic two-room cantina is helmed by the indomitable owner and cook Paola, who’s as famous for her seasonal home cooking as her no-nonsense ‘tude. Fixed eight-course menus are the only option.
What to order: Literally anything from their rotating set menus for a seasonal surprise.
Trattoria der Pallaro, 15 Largo del Pallaro, Rome, +39 06 6880 1488, trattoriaderpallaro.it
Teresa Carles, Barcelona
Bare bricks, subway tiles and tartan booths abound in this kooky hippy haven which sprouted up in the ’70s. Herb n’ flava-packed legume creations so good even protein-craving carnivores will be sated.
What to order: The heart-shaped pear and gorgonzola-filled ravioli.
Teresa Carles, Jovellanos 2, Raval, Barcelona, Spain, +34933171829, teresacarles.com
Da Paolo Dempsey, Singapore
Sit pretty on blue velvet lined rattan chairs in this white-washed, no-frills tropical villa as you watch the pasta makers do their magic over the counter. Shop fresh ravioli and squid ink pasta afterwards for an Italian festa at your casa.
What to order: Peckish? Choose the simple carbonara. Hungry? Go for seafood linguine.
Da Paolo Dempsey, 1-13, 8 Dempsey Road, Singapore, +65 6261 3128, dapaolo.com.sg
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