With an endless array of cafes and restaurants in Sydney, it can be hard to know where to go for lunch, especially if you are as indecisive as me – they all sound so good and tempting! However, if you are in search of a restaurant with a water view then Darling Harbour is always a great place to head.
Darling Harbour makes a great place to dine for locals and tourists alike who are on the search of an affordable lunch or dinner, with plenty of Lunch and Dinner Specials available as well as Happy Hour Specials if you arrive from 3pm onwards.
I met my friend here at midday and after perusing various restaurant menus, we decided upon Casa Ristorante Italiano, situated within the heart of King Street Wharf, close to the Sydney Sea Life Centre and ferry wharf.
Casa was fairly quiet when we arrived, but soon quickly filled up with groups of people celebrating birthdays and other special occasions. We had a table outside overlooking the water and got to work deciding what to eat and drink.
Casa has an extensive menu selection fusing together contemporary and traditional dishes which are inspired by the current season. Choose from a variety of authentic wood-fired pizzas, home-made pasta, meat, fish and salads.
There are also Lunch Specials which include numerous dishes from $15 including wood-fired pizzas, fish and chips, salads, ravioli, Chargrilled Sirloin and Grilled Barramundi. I decided to go for the Vegetariana Pizza for $15 which comes with tomato, mozzarella, spinach, mushroom, cherry tomato and zucchini and I had a Pink Lemonade with this.
Lunch Specials apply from 11:30am until 5:30pm and if you dine on a Sunday or Public Holiday then there is an extra $2.50 per person surcharge.
If you prefer to eat off the main menu, then the Bruschetta Al Pomodoro which we saw come out looked and smelled beautiful. There is a wide choice of pasta dishes including Lasagne, Spaghetti Marinara and Fettucine Gamberi around the $25 mark and other wood-fired pizzas include Tropicana, Chicken Cacciatore and Frutti Di Mare. Casa Ristorante Italiano also caters for those with dietary requirements, and does offer a gluten free pizza base for an extra $5.
Our drinks shortly arrived, although my Pink Lemonade wasn’t as I had expected – not the traditional type Pink Lemonade, more like Lemonade with a dash of flavouring. Of course, there are plenty of wines, beers, spirits and soft drinks to choose from as well.
Our food didn’t take too long to arrive, and my Vegitariana Pizza looked fantastic, full or colour and vibrancy. The pizza base was thin and crispy and served on a wooden board. It was a good size for $15 and definitely filled me up. The zucchini was a bit soft and watery – I think it would have been better if it was cut thinly, rather than being a thick wedge, but apart from this, the pizza was well-cooked and kept my belly happy.
Overall, the food at Casa Ristorante Italiano was well priced and tasted good, for the lunchtime special, if you are looking for something reasonably priced.
With a variety of seating both inside and outside, including comfortable booths for large groups, Casa Ristorante Italiano is well worth venturing to and I would definitely be trying the Bruschetta Al Pomodoro next time.