There’s something comforting in having a local eatery that you can trust. You need the basics, a Thai restaurant that you can eat in or take away, the local pizzeria and a local serving up food that will satisfy you, your Mum or your little sister – and all within walking distance from home.

One of our favourites is Ill Baretto – famous in Sydney for serving up authentic and inexpensive Italian food in an informal manner.

Arriving mid-week and relatively early, we were able to secure the window bench without wait. If you leave it too late, you can leave your name with the staff and await a call whilst you can bide your time with a drink at the pub across the road. We attempted to dine here a few weeks back on a Friday night around 8pm and was told there was a 2 hour wait, so be warned.

It was a cause for a low-key celebration, a new job was in the wings – armed with a bottle of special red, and I knew what I was ordering without doubt. The duck ragu with parpadelle is something special here. A wonderfully rich sauce soaks coats the flat pasta with large chunks of flavoursome duck. The sauce is rich, but not so much that you’ll be keen to slurp it all up, so make sure you grab some bread to mop it up – that’s if you’ve got enough room, as the servings are large. Ever present staples include the arrabiata and puttanesca plus the gnocchi variations, all worthy of a try.

Dessert was a let down, the panna cotta was inviting, but the vanilla sauce was sickly sweet and overpowered the gentle flavour and interrupted the enjoyment of the fine texture.

Returnability: Without doubt. Duck lovers beware, you will become addicted and want nothing else which is a shame as there are some fantastic dishes available.

Score: 13.5/20
Entrees $6.0 to $15.0. Mains $11.0 to $19.5. Dessert $7.0.
BYO $1 per person
496 Bourke Street, Surry Hills
New South Wales