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Restaurant

Cafe Nino

39 Ocean St, Woollahra NSW 2025, Australia

Recommended by 52 people

Updated

Find Cafe Nino

39 Ocean St, Woollahra NSW 2025, Australia

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+61 2 9327 2747
HoursConfirm current hours with the venue.

*Opening hours may differ during holidays.

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About Cafe Nino

This intimate Woollahra institution pairs home-style Italian cooking and coastal seafood with an effortless BYO policy. Locals head here for reliable weeknight pasta fixes and multi-generational feasts, grabbing a bottle from the wine merchant next door before slipping inside. From the front window it looks tiny, but extra tables hide out back. Dishes arrive generous and saucy—bowls of garlic mussels, chilli prawns, and spaghetti vongole made for dragging crusty bread through every last drop of tomato broth, followed by classic tiramisu.

  • Neighbourhood BYO Dining: Diners can bring their favourite wine, with a well-stocked bottle shop conveniently located right next door.
  • Seafood-Driven Pasta Classics: Regulars praise the garlicky mussels, chilli prawns, and spaghetti vongole served with plenty of fresh bread.
  • Hidden Back Room Seating: Behind the snug streetfront dining room lies additional rear seating for family and group gatherings.
RestaurantItalianRestaurantCafe

What's On at Cafe Nino

Upcoming events, special menus and other reasons to plan a visit.

No events or specials listed right now.

Why Dine at Cafe Nino

Why locals and long-time regulars choose Cafe Nino for classic pasta, BYO wine nights, and family dining.

  • Seamless BYO With Next-Door Bottle Shop

    Guests can bring their favourite wines and pick up selections right next door without detour, keeping casual and special dinners flexible and affordable.

    It is byo with a bottle shop conveniently next door.

    Courtney Amos

  • Deceptive Space With Rear Seating Layout

    While the street entrance appears small and intimate, the dining room expands backwards to comfortably host guests seeking a table.

    The restaurant looks tiny and busy from outside, but don't walk off if you think there aren't any tables as there is more seating out the back!

    Chris McClements

  • Sauce-Soaked Seafood and Pasta Classics

    Guests indulge in classic seafood pasta combinations and rich garlic and tomato pan sauces crafted for dipping warm crusty bread.

    The sauce was amazing. We couldn’t stop eating the sauce with the fresh bread!

    Lara

  • Decades-Long Menu Consistency

    Signature preparations like spaghetti vongole, scampi pasta, and tiramisu deliver uncompromised consistency across decades of visits.

    I have been ordering the spaghetti vongole since I was 15 years old, and it has not changed!

    Chantal Topp

  • Enduring Hospitality That Never Disappoints

    Longstanding regular patrons and newcomers experience comforting certainty that hospitality and kitchen standards never drop over years of dining.

    I have been going to Cafe Nino for 10 years now and not once has it been anything less than amazing.

    Nikki James-New

  • Welcoming Italian Family Warmth

    Personal attention from Claire, Claude, and the team makes diners feel warmly welcomed as though joining an authentic home dinner.

    It really feels like you're coming home to an italian family when coming here.

    Ma Fl

Time-honoured pasta, seafood classics, and beloved desserts that define the Cafe Nino experience

  • Mussels

    I love the Mussels served in Tomato Base Cream Sauce, dip some bread in the sauce, it tasted so good I had to have seconds!

    ET

  • Tiramisu

    The tiramisu is the best I’ve ever had.

    Chantal Topp

  • Spaghetti Vongole

    I enjoyed the most delicious Spaghetti Vongole at Cafe Nino last night.

    Chris McClements

  • Chilli Prawns

    We shared the chilli prawns, the where cooked well. It actually could of done with a little less time. The sauce was amazing. We couldn’t stop eating the sauce with the fresh bread!

    Lara

Before you head over

Practical advice on seating, drinks, and ordering to make the most of your dinner

  • Pick Up Wine Next Door

    Cafe Nino operates as BYO, making it easy to bring your favourite wine or pick up a bottle right next door before sitting down.

  • Check for Rear Seating

    The front section can look crowded from the street, but don't walk away if it seems full—there is additional dining space situated out back.

  • Order Bread for Sauces

    Dishes like the chilli prawns, garlic prawns, and mussels come with rich sauces that are best enjoyed with extra bread for dipping.

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