The 5 best Italian restaurants in Darwin

Il Piatto, translating to ‘the plate’, is as close as you’ll get to dining on the Amalfi Coast right here in Darwin. Tucked behind Mindil Beach, this refined restaurant boasts floor-to-glass ceilings, overlooking the finest sunsets on this side of the Tiwi Islands. Il Piatto’s menu is a love letter to Italy, celebrating the culinary traditions of the entire boot-shaped country, rather than just one region. You’ll find all the classics – rosemary focaccia, mushroom arancini, antipasto – alongside housemade pizza and pasta (with a ragu that’s nothing short of spectacular). But the real show-stopper? The delizia al limone – a must-try dessert that transports you right to the Amalfi Coast with its silky crema chantilly and sponge cake centre soaked in decadent lemony goodness.

In the hustle and bustle of Darwin’s lively Mitchell Street, lies an authentic Neapolitan pizzeria following recipes from the 17th century. Alfonsino’s uses the finest and freshest ingredients that Italian cuisine is renowned for. Take the San Marzano tomatoes, a key ingredient in most of their pizzas and some pasta too. These have been dubbed the only tomatoes that can be used for vera pizza napoletana (true Neapolitan pizza), and you find them right here. Overwhelmed by choice? We can’t go past the traditional Regina Margherita (because, let’s face it, Margherita pizza is the base-level assessment pizza everywhere), and the pappardelle all’anatra – slow-cooked duck ragú so tender it melts in your mouth, just like the traditional dish from the Tuscany hills.

Hailing from Puglia, chef Valeria opened The Taste of Italy with no grand plans – just a simple passion for great Italian food. After coming to Darwin as a backpacker, she spent almost a decade testing different recipes at markets and festivals, including homemade dry pasta. Her dream of opening a restaurant was realised in December 2023 in the form of a Mitchell Street shopfront (right across from Alfonsino’s). Today, The Taste of Italy is a popular lunch spot during the week and late-night dinner on weekends, selling pizza, schiacciata, arancini, panzeronni and more. It's hard to pick favourites, but we rally around the freshly made pizza slices, tiramisu and cannoli, of which the filling is made in-house and the biscuit exterior is brought in from a Sicilian trader based in Sydney.

From the owners of Ray’s Café and Patisserie and Sweet Brew, Darlings is an unmissable feature of Darwin’s Italian food scene. While not strictly traditional Italian, it honours authentic pasta-making techniques while putting its own twist on the sauces – think kangaroo ragu and vegan bolognese. Start your meal with fluffy garlic focaccia, followed by prawn tagliatelle that’s served with a decadent butter sauce, succulent prawns and earthy mixed mushrooms. Pair it with a glass from their diverse wine list, which spans South Africa, Italy and Australia.

Between Tuscany and Napoli lies Abruzzo, which is where chef Luigi Esposito of the eponymous Luigi’s Pizzeria has its roots. Operating out of a food truck with three small pizza ovens, Luigi’s is an integral part of the Nightcliff foreshore experience, where locals celebrate another lavish sunset by the jetty with contemporary, fluffy-doughed pizza. Luigi’s recipes use three styles of flour, two being finely ground Italian pizza flour, which is then fermented for 48 hours. Luigi’s pizza is not traditional, but not completely new either – it’s in the middle, like Abruzzo. If you can only order one thing, make it the Napoli – a classic tomato and mozzarella pizza with the ubiquitous Napoleon topping of anchovies. Collect your pizza and eat it on the lawn outside, overlooking the sea and jetty. Just don’t forget to bring insect repellent outside of the dry season.