Life passes slowly on these quiet neighbourhood streets. Consider it through grand picture windows from inside this toasty hideaway, however, and you might see something sweeter: a stirring slice of country realism.

It’s the scene of Albury’s best Sunday lunch, and a fire crackles in the background while you tick your meal into motion from an order sheet. You’re here for the pasta, but a stack of flash-fried calamari built over piquant ’nduja vinaigrette is a worthy primer.

House-made semolina pastas change with the whims of the kitchen, but might include tiny tubettini tossed through luscious gremolata and crumbled cotechino sausage; a rich confetti suspended in savoury green broth.

Vodka tortiglioni is covered in a light pangrattato and eats cleanly, a crowning thicket of basil draped for freshness. Wines showcase local talent and are eminently affordable: nothing pours for over $16 a glass.

Good to know: Spend the night at the restaurant’s accommodation and enjoy your pasta from the comfort of a well appointed guest house.

Good Food reviews are booked anonymously and paid independently. A restaurant can’t pay for a review or inclusion in the Good Food Guide.