Il Lago, Baulkham Hills

Hidden amongst the many business complexes and streets of modern residential areas  in Bella Vista, is a charming Italian restaurant by the lake next to the Norwest Shopping centre. The restaurant is quite big inside, but we opt to sit outside to enjoy the sunshine and the view of the lake.

The menu is full of authentic Italian dishes, ranging from the usual pastas to more meat based mains. Today we decide to try 2 of their pastas – the seafood linguine (as their lobster spaghetti was sadly unavailable that day) and their duck ragout with chestnut gnocchi.

Both pastas were very generously sized, served on big shiny white plates which emphasised their size. I enjoyed the seafood linguine, partly because the king prawns were deshelled (I hate getting my hands dirty during a nice meal) but mostly because the rich tomato based sauce went nicely with the prawns, fresh calamari, mussels and scallops which were scattered throughout the dish.

Seafood linguine, $24.90

The duck ragout with chestnut gnocchi was definitely the more interesting dish of the meal. The chestnut gnocchi was soft and absorbed the duck stew juices well, although the sauce was not particularly flavoursome. The slow-cooked duck meat also took on a stringy texture which wasn’t the “melt in your mouth” taste that we were looking for.

Duck ragout with chestnut gnocchi, $24.90

Overall, Il Lago is not a bad choice for those who find themselves in the Bella Vista area as there are limited options for restaurant dining. I would suggest opt for the more conventional Italian pastas on the menu as the more adventurous choices don’t always hit the mark.

Il Lago
Unit G01/8 Century Circuit 
Baulkham Hills NSW 2153
Phone: (02) 9634 2487


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