Rustichella Pasta Bar

Rustichella Pasta Bar is an absolute gem of an authentic Italian restaurant and bar specialising in pasta and regional cuisine from Bologna, found tucked away in Nundah village.

Diners can take a seat alongside the garden bed on the al fresco terrace or the contemporary high-ceilinged interior which is given a touch of Euro rusticity with the ceiling beams, pendant lighting, timber and stone trimmings and hanging vines.

The hero here is the food, which is amongst the best Italian cuisine to be found in Brisbane, with all pasta made freshly onsite from scratch daily. It is recommended that you start with the house specialty Crescentine - traditional fried dough with a choice of mortadella or prosciutto di parmi and parmesan. 

Otherwise there's tomato bruschetta or crustini & ragu bolognese, must-try burrata on heirloom salad (also a side) or sharing platters ideal for 2-3 diners - tagliere di salumi or tagliere di formaggi (cheese) served with house breads.

Pasta dishes include tagliatelle with bolgonese ragu (another house specialty) or avocado, red onion & parmesan; spaghetti carbonara or gorgonzola; ricotta & parsley tortellini with butter and sage or tomato; and potato gnocchi with free range chicken ragu bianco or garden veggies. 

As well as the burrata heirloom tomato salad there's also a Mediterranean salad with shaved parmesan, and a choice of traditional breads to accompany, including tigelle, crescentine and foccacia. And for dessert there's bidino al cioccolato (Italian chocolate pudding), affogato and tiramisu.

The wine list features a curated selection of quality Italian wines and there's also Italian beers, with the friendly knowledgeable waitstaff happy to recommended accompanying wines.

Good to know - All pasta is homemade on site with organic free range eggs, with gluten-free gnocchi available on request.

Need to know - There is free street parking available in the surrounding streets after hours and on weekends.