I kept hearing wonderful things about Cafe Sopra ever since Yvn went to their Walsh Bay branch last time. My other friends have told me that it is the best Italian in Sydney and that I definitely need to check it out. Tonight I’ve chosen to visit their Bridge Street branch near Wynyard station as this is the only one that offers pizzas and also takes bookings (Saturday night only).
Cafe Sopra / Fratelli Fresh currently has four locations across Sydney and is a combination of the restaurant (Cafe Sopra) and retail store (Fratelli Fresh) which specialises in Italian food and produce. As we enter the Bridge Street branch, we are seated at the counter which means that we were able to observe the chefs cooking pasta, risotto and salads the whole time. The chefs were good sports who smiled, posed and spoke to us when we took photos – really helped enhance the atmosphere for us!
Tomato with Buffalo Mozzarella and Basil – $22
Tonight we’re sharing three mains and first up is the tomato pizza. This is hand made and baked in a wood fired oven. The crust is thin and there is a lot of cheese on the top. There are some light basil flavours and the best way to describe this pizza is ‘fresh’ – it’s not heavy, gluggy and oily like a lot of pizzas normally are.
Lamb Ragu with Rosemary, Chilli and Rigatoni – $22
Next up is the lamb ragu. I find the lamb here not that tender, however the rigatoni is beautiful and smooth. As shown in the picture above, the dish is visibly very cheesy with tomato flavours.
Spaghetti with Blue Swimmer Crab, Nduja and Tomato – $29
Our last dish for the night is the spaghetti. This is a very popular dish given that we’ve been watching the chefs plate up a dozen or so of this dish throughout the night. The pasta is very well cooked and enveloped with sweet tomato flavours and hints of chilli and parsley. There are also pieces of crab scattered within to add some depth to the pasta.
Overall, I am loving Cafe Sopra. Their menu is extensive, the atmosphere has a lovely homely feel and the food is delicious. It is truly one of the best Italian restaurants in Sydney and it’s no wonder that it is always packed out with a line. I cannot wait to come back here, hopefully soon!
Cafe Sopra
11 Bridge St, Sydney CBD, 2000
Ph: (02) 8298 2701
View Comments (6)
Cafe Sopra is amazing! The food is so simple but delicious. You should keep an eye out for their free cooking classes where they teach you two dishes and you get to cook and take them home!
They have free cooking classes?!?!?!? WHEN!!!
Where do they announce this? Awesome!
Cafe sopra offers honest Italian food! I love what they produce. Even though they've now opened several branches they have kept true to themselves.
Love their meaty/ragu pasta dishes and zingy salads; pizzas not so much...
lamb ragu <3 <3 <
wow my comment totally got cut out !
ahhaha was saying their meatballs on spaghetti was delicious even when it's in a box (had take away from walsh bay last sunday) but there's just a tad too much cumin.
and since the bridge st sopra is just around the corner from work, next time u have to hit me up to get the desserts! semi-freddos and sorbets yummm! and also their cheap but impressive italian wines :3 hhehehe