Aldo's Cafe, Perisher Valley, NSW

The Godfather pizza, Aldo's Cafe, Perisher

Aldo's Cafe looks unassuming from the outside but don't be put off! The food here is delicious, the views are great and the atmosphere is relaxed. Aldo's dishes up a mainly Italian menu but there are a few little surprises in the mix as part of their Aldo's Lights (tapas style) menu.


The pizza at Aldo's is mouth wateringly good with toppings to suit every palate from the simple ham and pineapple through to the Godfather. I have tried a few now and haven't been disappointed yet. As well as the pizza and tapas, there are also pasta, risotto and fish dishes on the menu.

Mussels, Aldo's Cafe, Perisher

Aldo's is licensed with a selection of beer, wine, spirits and cider on offer. Breakfast, lunch and dinner are available throughout the winter season but it can get busy during peak times and lunch bookings aren't taken so plan ahead so you aren't left waiting for too long.


Aldo's Cafe is located on the upper level of the Perisher Ski Tube Terminal.


Useful Links:


Aldo's Cafe Website (includes a full menu).
Perisher Resort

The view from Aldo's Cafe, Perisher

Bacco Italian Restaurant and Bacco Pizzeria, Jindabyne, NSW

Rocket and prosciutto pizza, Bacco, Jindabyne

The Style: Bacco Italian Restaurant in Jindabyne is a cosy, simply furnished restaurant although it does have a pretty eye-catching replica of Michelangelo's 'The Creation of Adam' which dominates the area above the bar. There is warm wood panelling and some coloured glass in the rear windows but other than that, the food does the talking rather than the interior.

Tacky or terrific? Artwork at Bacco Italian Restaurant, Jindabyne

Bacco Italian Restaurant, Jindabyne

The Taste: There are two Baccos - one is a more casual pizza restaurant, the other has a fuller menu. The food comes in portions which are huge - my salad entree could have easily held its own as a main. The food here is laced with lashings of dressing, garlic, salt and other yummy things but in a couple of the dishes it bordered on being a bit too much.


The food is not served in delicate, fussy portions. It is more homely and hearty which bodes well on a cold winter day. Come to Bacco if you are after generous, no fuss food, probably steer clear if you are expecting a flashy meal.

Seafood chowder, Bacco Italian Restaurant, Jindabyne 

Pear and prosciutto salad, Bacco Italian Restaurant, Jindabyne

Marinara Pizza, Bacco Italian Restaurant, Jindabyne.

The Service: The service at Bacco in Jindabyne can be SLOW. On my most recent visit, there were only three occupied tables but we waited almost an hour between courses. The plus was that the waitress came and explained the reason for the delay and offered a complimentary drink while we waited.


The price: Meals at Bacco are priced around $15-$20 for a main course, slightly less for entrees and desserts.

Passionfruit pannacotta, Bacco Italian Restaurant, Jindabyne

Brandy snap basket, Bacco Italian Restaurant, Jindabyne

The Location: Bacco Italian Restaurant and Bacco Pizzeria are located in the Nuggets Crossing complex in Jindabyne. Nuggets Crossing is off Kosciuszko Road, Jindabyne.

Il Corso Italian Restaurant, Wagga Wagga

Il Corso Italian Restaurant, Wagga Wagga

The Style: There is nothing subtle about the faux-marble roman warrior surrounded by plastic olive trees which greets you at the door. There were also a few plastic grape vine garlands hanging near the front of the restaurant. Fortunately, the main dining area was decorated more modestly with the old-style black and white photos which seem to be taking over Italian restaurants everywhere. The restaurant is quite big and with the tiled floor and huge space, it was absolutely freezing. Fortunately, the waitresses seemed to notice that the patrons were all eating in their coats and scarves on what was a very chilly Wagga Wagga night. They turned up the heating and also did their best to shuffle people around to get them into warmer areas.

Il Corso Italian Restaurant, Wagga Wagga

The taste: Il Corso's menu was made up of pasta, pizzas and a fair selection of meat and chicken dishes. I found the inclusion of mango chicken on the menu to be a little bit scary but just avoided that and went for some classics. The chilli and parmesan bread was truly delicious as was the spaghetti con gamberi which was tasty with a nice sauce and a generous serve of seafood (although the waitress accidentally served up an entree instead of a main so the helping was smaller than expected.) The capriciosa pizza was generously topped and overall it tasted very nice. It did look a bit dry and overcooked but was surprisingly moist and tasty to eat. The only real downfall was the processed shredded ham. I think some nice shaved leg ham would have made it so much the better.

Spaghetti con gamberi, Il Corso Italian Restaurant, Wagga Wagga

Capriciosa pizza, Il Corso Italian Restaurant, Wagga Wagga

Chilli parmesan bread, Il Corso Italian Restaurant, Wagga Wagga

Rocket and parmesan salad, Il Corso Italian Restaurant, Wagga Wagga

The service: The waitresses at Il Corso made a real effort to help out when the temperature plummeted but did get our order wrong. The staff were generally friendly and welcoming although one was yelling at other staff openly in front of customers which was a little off putting.


The price: The bread, pasta and pizza as well as drinks for two came in at $59 but remember they accidentally served us entree size mains so add a few dollars if you want a more generously sized meal.


The location: Il Corso Italian Restaurant is located at 16-18 Bayliss Street in Wagga Wagga, New South Wales.

Esco Pazzo, Mittagong

Esco Pazzo, Mittagong

The style: Esco Pazzo Italian Restaurant is located in a historic building with exposed brick walls, black and white photgraphs and huge glassed areas overlooking a garden. It is cosy and simple creating an inviting atmosphere without trying too hard. The only real negative with the decor is the tacky paper tablecloths.

Esco Pazzo, Mittagong

The taste: The a la carte menu specialises in Roman Italian cuisine and includes wood fired pizzas, pasta, risotto as well as various main meals including quail, veal, steak and lamb. There is also a daily specials board which is where I found the veal with tomato, anchovy, olive and caperberry sauce. The food here is truly spectacular and it isn't hard to see why Esco Pazzo has been a regular on the Sydney Morning Herald's Good Food Guide over the past few years.

Veal in a tomato, anchovy, olive and caperberry sauce, Esco Pazzo, Mittagong

Roma Pizza - mozzarella, sliced potato, pork sausage, rosemary and olive oil; Esco Pazzo

The price: Antipasti range from $13.50 - 19:50, Pasta from $14.00 to $18.00, Secondi from $23.50 - $28.50 and Pizza from $12.90 - $20.00. The pizzas were very generously sized. To view Esco Pazzo's menu, click here.

Esco Pazzo, Mittagong

The location: Esco Pazzo is located at 84 Main Street, Mittagong. Mittagong is at the northern end of the Southern Highlands in NSW about two hours northeast of Canberra and one and a half hours south west of Sydney.