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At Betto Deli, the Italian-born chef makes family recipes that remind him of home (plus, there are $3 glasses of wine).
Italian$$
It’s gnocchi day at Betto Deli in Newtown, and there’s something comforting about watching Milanese owner-chef Andrea Bettini push and pull a warm mass of potato dough across the kitchen counter, his hands white with flour.
It reminds me of being a kid, watching my nonna and her friends roll gnocchi on an oversized wooden board in the garage. Nonna’s gnocchi was sacred in our household — a labour of love reserved for birthdays and holidays — and now, we make it to remember her.
“That’s what the restaurant is all about,” says Bettini. “Sometimes, when you are far from home, you just miss the simple things … the big family lunches on Sundays, eating comfort food like bolognese lasagne, risotto, and gnocchi.”
The best gnocchi is a delicate balance of texture: so soft it could almost melt in your mouth, just firm enough to maintain its shape and bite. You can’t buy it pre-packaged from the supermarket, and it’s difficult to find a restaurant that nails it, but Bettini’s recipe is many generations in development.
It’s served in a big, hand-painted bowl, with pan-fried asparagus and a gentle brown butter and sage sauce. Pretty damn delicious, and just $27.
“It’s like my grandma used to make,” Bettini says. “Simple ingredients: potatoes that aren’t too starchy, egg yolks, and plain flavour.”
Bettini is a hospitality veteran who grew up in Milan, and migrated to Australia in the mid 2010’s. He’s worked in hotel and fine-dining restaurants, but wanted Betto — his first restaurant, run with partner Katherine Daza — to recall the home he left behind.
“I realised there are enough great Italian restaurants in Sydney putting their own twist on things,” Bettini says. “I prefer to keep it traditional, respecting the classics.”
That’s what makes Betto’s special. In a city overwhelmed by the launch of more than a dozen high-profile Italian restaurants this year, from the multi-million dollar Grill Americano to Napoli-born pizza chain L’Antica Pizzeria Da Michele, Bettini winds it back to what made Italian food so beloved in the first place.
The pasta, porchetta, panini bread and panettone is made from scratch, in-house. There’s a wide selection of deli meats and cheese, sliced-to-order. And the $28 lasagne, layered five times over with a slow-cooked beef and pork bolognese, has become a bestseller for its just-charred edges and mozzarella-spiked bechamel sauce.
On Tuesdays, it’s risotto night — Bettini’s specialty. The pomodoro risotto is creamy, al dente, and dusted with pecorino romano. It arrives promptly, served by Daza, who brings warmth and careful professionalism to the front-of-house.
Almost every dish is listed with an optional add-on: crisp, pan-fried guanciale on the risotto, spoonfuls of stracciatella on the mezze maniche alla vodka, and prawns on the spaghetti alle vongole. It’s a smart move during a cost-of-living crisis, allowing diners to adjust for budget. Even when splurging on a couple of glasses of Chianti, a side of green beans (pan-fried with chilli and garlic), and a fruity iced granita to go, a group of four can be well-fed for around $60 a head.
Still, Bettini considers the restaurant a work in progress. Despite data from online booking platform OpenTable showing a 38 per cent increase in Italian dining in Sydney this year, it’s proven difficult to stand out on a tight budget (even when glasses of house wine are just $3 on Thursdays). Aside from a few family photos and the oversized tins of tomatoes hanging from the ceiling, Bettini hasn’t been able to realise his vision of a rustic, old school trattoria — yet.
“Next year we’re going to make it feel more warm and welcoming,” he says. “Slowly, slowly ... we want this to be a long-term venture.”
Three more great places for home-style lasagne
Vineria Luisa
At this slick-but-welcoming addition to Enmore Road, almost every table orders head chef Gianmarco Pardini’s “best ever lasagne” because what kind of omnivore doesn’t like seven layers of pasta, bechamel and ragu made from pork, veal and beef cooked overnight into a dark, glossy shade of burgundy?
135 Enmore Road, Enmore, vinerialuisa.au
Sippenham
The beef shin lasagne with tomato-rich vodka sauce is inspired by co-owner Nick Giannopoulos’ grandmother’s pastitsio (Greece’s version of lasagne) was an instant crowd favourite.
282 Unwins Bridge Road, Sydenham, sippenham.com
Don Beppino’s
To many Novocastrians, Don Beppino’s is better known as the “The House of Lasagna”, which is emblazoned in white letters across the brown tiles of its awning. The drawcard dish features five bechamel-free layers of pasta, mozzarella, parmesan and rich, meaty bolognese. Dine in and take advantage of free BYO.
45 Railway Street, Merewether, donbeppinos.com.au
With Callan Boys
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