Leichhardt is one of my favourite Sydney suburbs to go to when I fancy some authentic Italian food and today was no different.
Today was Sunday and a lazy Sunday was definitely required after a hard busy week at work. We had booked tickets for the Palace Cinema to watch a film and decided to grab an early lunch on the opposite side of the road at a restaurant we have been meaning to go to for ages, At Fernandos.
At Fernandos is a large Italian restaurant which is well positioned on bustling Norton Street close to the Town Hall with seating both inside and out. As it was a hot sunny day, we decided it would be nice to enjoy the fresh air and sit outside and watch the people walk by go about their day. Above street level, our spot on the outside terrace gave us the perfect view of all that was happening below, whilst being sat in the cool shade close to a small orange tree gave us some tranquillity.
At Fernandos is a family run and owned Italian restaurant and tables were finely dressed with crisp white tablecloths. Our waitress soon brought out some much needed tap water and menus, along with the specials for the day.
We each ordered a glass of wine from the well picked wine list which comprised both local Australian wines as well as Italian favourites and soon got to work deciding what to have.
If you want value for money then At Fernandos does two Lunch Special menus. The Special for One includes any traditional pasta, salad and house drink for $20, whilst the Special for Two includes any 2 traditional pastas, salad, bread and house drink for $38.
If you’re watching a film at the Palace Cinemas, like we did, then simply show your cinema ticket to enjoy 20% off your bill.
We both decided to order off the A La Carte menu and I ended up going for the Spaghetti Marinara for $30 which comprised homemade spaghetti tossed with gulf prawns, black mussels, squid rings and vongole and a Napoli sauce enhanced with chef’s secret sauce. My boyfriend went for the classic Fernando’s homemade lasagne with an extra side of chips.
As well as homemade pasta, At Fernandos also serves an array of beautiful pizzas as well as meat dishes, fish and there’s even a menu for children. For sweet tooths, save room for dessert which includes the much loved homemade Tiramisu or the silky smooth and crunchy top vanilla cream brulee.
Our waitress soon brought out our food after a short while waiting and my Spaghetti Marinara looked extremely moreish, decorated with the vibrant black shells of the mussels which were poking out on top, as if they were swimming to the surface. The food smelled amazing and inviting with the fresh Napoli sauce and we quickly helped ourselves to some extra parmesan cheese.
My spaghetti was al dente and tossed with plenty of Napoli sauce. The prawns were big and juicy and the squid was super tender. I certainly had enough food on my plate and it all disappeared very quickly into my stomach!
The staff at At Fernandos were friendly and extremely helpful and there was a good selection of Italian music playing, providing the casual Sunday atmosphere we were craving. Overall, the food and drinks were excellent and we will certainly be back to try other Italian delights, especially that tiramisu which unfortunately did not have room for!
Open for dinner Tuesday to Sunday and lunch Saturday and Sunday, make sure you stop by At Fernandos for a wonderful Italian meal the next time you frequent Leichhardt.