This handsome restaurant has many fans, including Nigella Lawson who, when in town, visits for its Australian spin on pasta. “[It] has ingredients that really break all the rules, but they still taste wonderful,” she says.

Case in point: mafaldine with spanner crab, uni butter and sea blite, a ruffled exploration of briny tastes and textures. There are certainly more traditional dishes, including fabulously rich amatriciana served with springy trottole, but it’s not all about the pasta: house-cured ham shaved thinly then splashed with anchovy hot sauce is essential, and a Tathra Place pork chop is as juicy as they come.

With the wine boffins from Love Tilly Group at the helm, the vino is a draw (although there’s no arguing with a negroni). The dimensions are grand, the mood is up and the bar staff hold court with the best of them. Who knew breaking the rules could be so fun?

Good to know: Best book a marble-topped table if you really want to get across the pasta and big Italian share plates.

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