Osteria Emilia - Surry Hills

I had really high hopes for this place and upon first arriving I was struck by how warm and welcoming the room felt. A beautiful space. However despite it being almost empty service was terrible. We were sat waiting for a good while without menus and then had to almost shout out to get a drink. The staff also took their lunch at the same time so we were left twiddling out thumbs without a drink while they enjoyed their pasta. The food was delicious though. But at 36 bucks for ten ravioli really over priced. You might be able to get away with this if everything else had been spot on but with service like this I won't be back. Such a shame as they seemed lovely just clueless.

I love the idea of this place so much, I really do. It's minutes away from me; it's got a homey feel. I like the energy of the woman who seems to own it (Anna Maria, I read, not Emilia). I've been really impressed how they've built the business and that it's a buzzy neighbourhood gem. And I have had good food here; and the food is good: classic, homemade Italian pasta, dishes and drinks. But the servings are a bit mean, and the prices are just too high. $23 for two people for the fried organic dough with mixed salumi & pickled vegetables; tasty but barely filling the tiny wooden board. My meat pasta (strozzapreti) was tasty but $28. For a pasta! The organic Italian Cab Sauv was $59; I hate that Vivino told me most people paid an average of $13 for it. The night we went the service was really confused and awkward, unfortunately. andyquan.com

Went on Saturday night with a group of 5. The whole night was an expensive disappointment. While waiting for some of our party, the waiter brought across a tray of sciatiata asking if we would like to try some while we were waiting. "Yes please!" we said only to be told it would be $8 a slice. A bit embarrassing to say no so we said we would only take 2 slices. Wasn't worth it. Can I suggest that if you are offering something off the cuff like that, then you offer it for FREE? Making customer pay for unsolicited food is just awkward for everyone. After reviewing the wine list we decided that we wouldn't be getting any wine. The price list is astronomical. Even per glass there was nothing less that $15. We opted for Peroni beer ($9) and sparkling water (using their own carbonator but we still had to pay). After reviewing the menu, we decided that we would order only pasta. We assumed that for $32-36, that the pasta would be main course sized. Each person ordered a different one so we could compare and this included the duck/truffle tortellini and the gnocchi that are so talked about. We ordered 2 antipasto plates before hand at $23. These were lack lustre. The produce on there wasn't very good quality at all. As for the pastas, well not one dish was a standout. And the portions were tiny! TINY!! I had the gnocchi and they were the size of a small marble. Tasty enough but not worth the money. And when they say "gorgonzola and walnut sauce", I expect the sauce to be made of gorgonzola AND  walnut. Instead it was gorgonzola with  a small smattering of crushed walnuts sprinkled over the top. Not even roasted. All the tortellinis were actually ravioli which means you miss out on all the crevices for sauces that make tortellini so special.  The sauces were ordinary with some on the table extremely oily. And the pastas were mushy. Not quite what you would expect for handmade. And to top it off we waited over an hour and a half for our pasta to arrive. By then it was too late to order a main as well once we realise the portion sizes were miniscule. We did ask to see the dessert menu because we were still so hungry but that all sounded lacklustre. All up it cost us $60 per person for a small plate of pasta and a beer.  In the end we went elsewhere to fill up.

Went on Saturday night with a group of 5. The whole night was an expensive disappointment. While waiting for some of our party, the waiter brought across a tray of sciatiata asking if we would like to try some while we were waiting. "Yes please!" we said only to be told it would be $8 a slice. A bit embarrassing to say no so we said we would only take 2 slices. Wasn't worth it. Can I suggest that if you are offering something off the cuff like that, then you offer it for FREE? Making customer pay for unsolicited food is just awkward for everyone. After reviewing the wine list we decided that we wouldn't be getting any wine. The price list is astronomical. Even per glass there was nothing less that $15. We opted for Peroni beer ($9) and sparkling water (using their own carbonator but we still had to pay). After reviewing the menu, we decided that we would order only pasta. We assumed that for $32-36, that the pasta would be main course sized. Each person... read more

Pasta Emilia is alittle hard to spot as it is on the corner of the street and there were no big signs so you may easily walk past it without even realising. The interior design is very traditional and it gives off an authentic Italian rustic vibe which I'm totally digging.  I ordered the beetroot ravioli with kale and salsa verde which in my opinion was amazingly delicious. The amount of saltiness was just right and the salsa verde was not too oily and complimented the beetroot pasta beautifully. It felt like pasta heaven in my mouth.  My friend ordered the strozzapreti with beef ragu which was also tasty however; it was definitely more on the oily side as we could see alot of oil at the bottom of the plate and the mince was on the sweeter side which I don't mind but others might not like that. Pasta was cooked al dente though!  You can also buy their pasta and jars of homemade sauce but I didn't get a chance to buy any. I really should when I return since I need to get my hands on the amazing salsa verde sauce.