If you were to ask me what my favourite Italian food was, I wouldn't be able to answer you. I absolutely love Italian food, whether it be pasta, pizza, arancini, pane (bread) or any of the various antipasto delicacies. Actually, that's a lie.... I would probably say Gelato, but that is another type of food that deserves its very own category...

But of all Italian food, it would be extremely hard to me to choose just one that I adore. It's good eating out at Italian restaurants with a big family because you're always guaranteed to order a wide range of meals, which means that I hardly ever miss out on anything that I love. Must orders whenever we eat Italian are always a seafood dish of some sort, whether it be a Spaghetti Marinara or a Frutti di Mare pizza, most of the time accompanied by a lovely parmesan and rucola salad and crunchy, aromatic garlic bread.

Il Goloso Ristorante used to be located on the main Ramsay Street strip of the inner west suburb of Haberfield, but a couple of years ago relocated to the nearby historic Haberfield Post Office, which makes for a lovely atmosphere. It offers the traditional Italian favourite pastas (Lasagne, Cannelloni, Gnocchi, Boscaiola are just some) and both Pizza Rose (tomato based) and Bianche (white-based) with crowd-pleaser toppings as well as specialty combinations such as the Fiori D'oro (zucchini flower, olives, anchovies and bocconcini) and Toscana (Salame, Porcini, Mixed musrooms, parmesan and mozzarrella).


Most weekends you will need to book as it does become very popular, which is what we did one Saturday night. Booking only a couple of hours beforehand in the afternoon, the only tables left were in the outside alfresco area which we were quite concerned aboutt with it being relatively cool in temperature. Upon arrival, though, we were pleased to find the area well protected from the outside chill and rain by clear plastic shades and outdoor heaters. Fairy lights dotting the fence added a special romantic touch to the outdoor seating.

Upon opening the menu our mouths began to water and we couldn't resist the plethora of dishes listed. Passing by the tables on the way to our seats, we knew pizza was a must try. 

Garlic Pizze Bruschette ($12) 

We started off with the garlic pizza, a beautifully puffed and risen house pizza base with lashings of salty garlic topping. The base, chewy and thin, was perfect with the slightly blistered and charred crust. The topping was a little too strong and garlicky for me, I preferred to have the corner pieces which weren't as salty.










Linguine Prawns and Asparagus ($22)

This was the freshest and simplest of all the dishes we ordered, but probably the tastiest and most satisfying. Garlic, basil, asparagus and tomatoes were tossed together with al dente linguine and piled on to a large plate, perfect for sharing. The light and delicate flavours went really well together, the prawns large and sweet.




Homemade lasagne ($18)

GG ordered this one for herself so we didn't get to share it and I didn't get a taste, but it looked extremely welcoming and homey, with lots of tomato sauce on top and layers of egg pasta. Like one big pasta slab, a good serving size too!







Fiori D'oro (seasonal, $19)

Il Goloso has absolutley beautiful pizza bases, if you like a thin base and slighly puffier, chewy crust (which I do!). This was a flavour combination we hadn't come across before - zucchini flower with olives, anchovies and bocconcini. The cheese had melted to an oozey deliciousness, and you get the punch when you bite into a bit of olive or anchovy.
 Spaghetti alla Marinara ($22)

Both Dad and CK ordered this, whic came with mussels, squid, prawns and mussels in a tomato Napoli sauce. It wasn't too heavy on the tomato sauce, which was good so that you could really appreciate the flavour of all the wonderful seafood. Chunks of tomato and a sprinkling of parsley on top added a freshness that livened it up.





Being a Saturday night we were expecting service to be a little bit slower than usual, but out meals all came out surprisingly quickly, probably because we'd just ordered quick pizzas and pastas. The specials board had 3 or 4 appealing main specials that we didn't order, but would like to try when we visit again. Entrees on the specials board sounded lovely, too, as did the antipasti and Carne and Pesce mains. Price range for pizza and pasta is $18-$24 each, which is relatively cheap to moderate compared to other more up-market restaurants in the area. This place is great to go for a family meal or larger group function or party, and there are set menus on offer as well that include more expensive options (one has all seafood!).

Website:
http://www.goloso.com.au/index.html