Among Windsor’s sandstone architecture and riverboats, Cricca is quietly reframing suburban dining. It has the warmth of an Italian local, with welcoming smiles, staff telling stories of Mediterranean fishing trips and walls lined with black-and-white memories of Rome. But next-generation chef-owner Alessio Nogarotto, alongside childhood friend and head chef Giles Gabutina, has taken the concept to another level.

There’s flatbread rising and oysters roasting in the wood-fired oven, shelves crowded with little-known Italian wines (try the skin-contact Piedmont arneis), and creative Italian-ish dishes led by seasonal Hawkesbury produce – most meant for sharing, some so good you won’t want to.

An ‘XO sauce’ made with crumbled charcuterie brings mild heat to wood-fired prawns; hand-shaped casarecce is glossy and bright with broccolini-salsiccia ragu; and lemon-ricotta cakes are paired with Chantilly cream topped with a pool of olive oil. It’s a good time to be a Windsor resident, or to plan another day trip west.

Best for: A delicious excuse to explore the Hawkesbury.

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