+61 2 6162 4888+ Add websiteImprove this listing
Hours
Tue
5:30 pm - 9:30 pm
Wed
12:00 pm - 2:00 pm5:30 pm - 9:30 pm
Thu
12:00 pm - 2:00 pm5:30 pm - 9:30 pm
Fri
12:00 pm - 2:00 pm5:30 pm - 9:30 pm
Sat
5:30 pm - 9:30 pm
What is Travellers’ Choice?
Tripadvisor gives a Travellers’ Choice award to accommodations, attractions and restaurants that consistently earn great reviews from travellers and are ranked within the top 10% of properties on Tripadvisor.
Ratings and reviews
4.0
RATINGS
Food
Service
Value
Atmosphere
Details
Someone from this business manages this listing.
Learn More
CUISINES
Italian
Special Diets
Vegetarian friendly, Gluten free options
Meals
Lunch, Dinner
features
Does this restaurant have a full bar?
Details
About
Canberra's most awarded Italian restaurant. 15.5/20 ONE HAT Sydney Morning Herald Good Food Guide 2023. LUNCH Wednesday To Friday DINNER Tuesday to Saturday
CUISINES
Italian
Special Diets
Vegetarian friendly, Gluten free options
Meals
Lunch, Dinner
FEATURES
Reservations, Seating, Serves Alcohol, Full Bar, Accepts Credit Cards, Table Service
Contribute
We perform checks on reviews.
Tripadvisor’s approach to reviews
Before posting, each Tripadvisor review goes through an automated tracking system, which collects information, answering the following questions: how, what, where and when. If the system detects something that potentially contradicts our community guidelines, the review is not published.
When the system detects a problem, a review may be automatically rejected, sent to the reviewer for validation, or manually reviewed by our team of content specialists, who work 24/7 to maintain the quality of the reviews on our site.
Our team checks each review posted on the site disputed by our community as not meeting our community guidelines.
Learn more about our review moderation.
4.0
761 reviews
Excellent
329
Very good
187
Average
121
Poor
55
Terrible
69
Graeme017
Cairns368 contributions
July 2020 • none
We went for the 12.00 lunch booking and arrived at 11.50 to a locked door. After a few minutes we were let in, and the waiter continually asked what drinks we wanted(as you will discover finding a reasonably priced wine isn’t possible) then kept asking had we decided on food,before the drinks even arrived. He then proceeded to drip wine twice down the glass and on to the table. We had $55 two course of which carpaccio was too heavily dowsed in olive oil,but agnolotti and lamb pappardelle were cooked perfectly. Booked at 12.00,done at 12.45, not the relaxing first lunch in Canberra we had hoped for.
Written 12 July 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
notwaltermitty
Canberra169 contributions
Mar 2021 • friends
Pleasant food but atmosphere leaves a lot to be desired.
Originally we had planned to enjoy the 3 Course Lunch, but after waiting almost half an hour for our main plates to be collected whilst all the tables around us were actively being served - we decided to finish our meal with 2 courses and to get dessert elsewhere.
It also became clear that since we weren’t drinking with our meal that we came second to the patrons that were.
The entree and main were well made, with the main being an exceptionally generous portion.
Was clear that the restaurant was understaffed. The waitress was clearly working hard but could have benefited from more assistance.
I don’t imagine that my friend nor I will be back to dine at Italian and Sons.
Written 19 March 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Sherw00dsC0ttage
50 contributions
Mar 2021 • none
Italian and Sons are obviously doing well enough not to take any heed of their reviews! We dined here recently. The service was excellent and the food was delicious too. We felt the meal sizes were acceptable, if a little on the lean side, but the lack of anything accompanying the piece fish on the large white plate was very poor. Pride in presentation alone should have demanded at least a lettuce leaf and a bit of tomato!
We were happy to pay the $85 but we were a little disappointed with the value we received. To charge extra for accompanying vegetables, we thought was poor. Unfortunately, the wine prices were totally over the top!
Lastly, Italians are well known for their hospitality and in Italy, every dining experience starts with a complimentary bowl of bread. Is this too much to ask? I would have thought the $85 per person might have covered that. We probably won't make a return visit.
Written 12 March 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Samata
1 contribution
June 2020 • none
Called to place a takeaway order and was redirected (despite asking to order over the phone) to the website to order online. Waited for 15 minutes after allocated time to receive the Pappardelle ai funghi (Vegetarian) however quickly realised that it was a spaghetti with duck and mushroom ragu. I was offered a replacement dish along with a complimentary tiramisu when I called them about the meat in my dish. Turns out they don't do the veg Pappardelle ai fungi anymore and hadn't updated that on their website either. Pasta was dry and tasteless, mushrooms were chunky and raw, the dish lacked sauce, and I ended up not eating a $24 dish.
Written 9 June 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
smitche
12 contributions
June 2020 • family
Went tonight wife and I meeting up with our son who’s lives in Canberra. Waiter was obviously gay guy which is fine with us as our other son is gay and so are many of our friends. The discrimination compared to the three male couples within the wine bar area where we were seated in was deplorable not only did those coming in after us get the fixed menu served first we were the only table not to be provided appropriate glassware to the fixed matching wine menu adding insult to injury he didn’t even fill our glass up to the measured line. He actually spilt more on the table as he slopped the wine into our glass whilst looking around at his friends tables. First two courses were excellent however the third beef cheeks were not trimmed of fat and over gelatinous and the potions minuscule and the polenta was grainy obviously both casualties of mass producing one menu, deserts forgettable cheap and again mass produced smallest cannoli I’ve ever seen. Really annoyed $400 to be served at a steel table no table cloth bread salt pepper olive oil nothing. Waiter spills wine all over the table and doesn’t blink an eye. I don’t usually give bad reviews even when it’s bad but these guys really ruined our night. I feel if you’re not from Canberra or not a local give it a very wide berth.
Written 20 June 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Stephen & Sue
Canberra2772 contributions
Apr 2021 • none
I'm a bit surprised at the recent rash of bad reviews here - our meal was very good , and good value for the quality. The service was excellent, and we were fed in pretty quick time on a night when the restaurant was packed and rapidly turning over tables for late arrivals.
There's only ever been a relatively limited range of meals on the menu here, and the $85 set price dinner is good value for any similar quality restaurant.
One thing that's never changed here is the ethos - they don't do fancy share plates of spectacularly plated experimental food - just very well cooked Italian classics.
The fish of the day was superb, but I thought the ragu could have done with something extra. The focaccia was excellent, as was the eggplant parmigiana and the cannoli. However the flourless chocolate cake turned out to be tiny sliver of a magnificent cake, hidden under a pile of unnecessary extras.
Written 5 May 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Gary S
Sydney158 contributions
Mar 2020 • none
My wife and I had a weekend in Canberra so we booked the restaurants before we arrived. We ate here on the Friday evening and I have to say it was very disappointing indeed! We sat down and ordered our drinks then we ordered our food. The starters came which were very nice but then the waiter returns and advises my wife that they are out of gluten free pasta so she will need to change her main dish??? It’s clearly advertised on the menu and everywhere else that this is a gluten free friendly restaurant and they make their own gluten free egg pasta and this is the reason we booked this place before we arrived in Canberra. So this was the first disappointment and the second was I ordered the pasta with lamb and it came with only 5 small cubes of lamb and 2 of them were fatty. I think by the look of it this is more of a pizza restaurant as we were sat at the back next to where they were making the pizza and they were certainly making lots of pizzas which I have to say looked amazing! They even got the bill wrong, they didn’t charge me for the drinks, I did inform them and they brought me the correct bill? Not what we were expecting!
Written 14 March 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Samantha M
Sydney9 contributions
Feb 2021 • none
I had been to this restaurant previously when it wasn't a set price for 3 courses and really enjoyed the food and ambience so decided to re-visit.
It is now a fixed price of $85 for 3 courses which I don't mind paying if it's worth it, but this definitely wasn't.
While the food we received was delicious the portions were VERY small. I sent my main course back to be re-heated as it was at best luke warm when it came to the table to which, I presume the owner, came over and told me if I didn't like it the way it was served that was too bad. He was so rude! The waitress who served us was absolutely delightful and apologised several times.
I will never visit this restaurant again, who wants to be spoken to like that when you are paying good money for a relaxing night out?
Written 17 February 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
StephenR285
Canberra783 contributions
Apr 2020 • none
The process for online ordering from the restaurant's website was easy to navigate and it was nice to get free delivery as a result of ordering a bottle of wine. As with many of the COVID-19 take away menus, the choice seems to be limited to simple to prepare and deliver meals. We ended up ordering a couple of entrees, a pizza and a pasta and two tiramisus plus a bottle of wine. The meal was delivered on time by one of the restaurant owners and we joined our Skype dinner party without delay. The food was warm without being hot and we chose to eat it without reheating, possibly a mistake. It tasted good but did not leave us feeling that we had recreated the taste of a restaurant meal. The one exception was the tiramisu which certainly lived up to superb desert reputation it has at Italian & Sons. We had ordered and paid a red wine (a Nero d'avola) and instead received a chilled bottle of white from the same vineyard. An easy mistake to make and we really enjoyed the white we received. Overall, an average experience and we will look around during the COVIS-19 for other local restaurants to try out.
Written 22 April 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Tammy W
Warsaw112 contributions
Aug 2020 • couples
The food was delicious and the service was good but....it was very expensive. We had the tasting set menu at $85 PP (al a cart menu not available) which was way overpriced for what we got. The only way it could have insulted us less was to include the wine pairing. The cheapest wine by the glass was $16 for a bottle of wine you can get for $20 (another insult). If you wanted the wine pairing it would set you back $125 PP. While we didn’t quite have to go to Macdonalds afterwards the servings were tiny. This is not the place to go if all you want is good hearty homely Italian food. It’s Italian trying to be too fancy. No spaghetti bolognaise, lasagne or pizza on this menu.
Written 19 August 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Oskar Schumacher
2 contributions
June 2020 • none
We visited I&S last weekend with a group from Sydney.
2 Couples of well traveled Retired Chefs who are passionate about food.
We were served by a kind, professional experienced waiter "Manolo" his knowledge of Wine and reading the guest was brilliant. We sat down, and offered sparkling water and some cocktails. Manolo suggested the evening specials and we decided on Carpacio, Zeppole & Sardines with mains of 3 types of pasta and 2 delicious Pizzas followed by 2 Servings of Tiramisu. All Meals were complimented with beautiful Italian wine. Wow, how is it possible that food outside of Italy can be so delicious? Our friends from Sydney recommended this restaurant and the whole experience exceeded our expectations.
One of the owners of the restaurant greeted us and made sure we were comfortable and enjoying our evening.
I highly recommend this restaurant for its Professional warm service and atmosphere and Impeccable faultless food. Thank you I & S (Manolo) for such a memorable evening.
Written 22 June 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Sam S
Sydney35 contributions
May 2021 • couples
Food was nice but not overwhelming. We thought the menu was very fish bias which was ok for me, didn’t give my partner a huge option who isn’t hugely into fish. The additional truffle was forgotten which was a shame and maybe would have made the dish more memorable.. good wine selection and we had a fab waitress who knew all her wines well. She was helpful but in the end our expectations were too high and ultimately we felt it was pretty overrated.
Written 12 July 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Angelphil
Canberra89 contributions
Oct 2020 • couples
We have been to this place a few times and never been disappointed. The greeting was professional and friendly and this continued throughout the night with the front of house staff and the farewell at the end. Because of COVID there was only a degustation menu available but this turned out to be a plus because we got to try food that we normally wouldn't order. Speaking of the food, wow, exceptionally cooked, perfectly presented, and quite filling...as usual! I will agree with some reviews that it is expensive and it is Sydney prices but this restaurant would easily fit in amongst the top in Sydney. So we didn't mind paying the price for the food we got but they should perhaps offer some cheaper wines. But overall it is our favourite Italian restaurant and we'll be back.
Written 24 October 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
nickynoo1990
3 contributions
Nov 2021 • none
$105 per person for the tasting menu, to be left hungry and unimpressed by the food. The highlight was the tiramisu, which was amazing, but it could not save the rest. The main part of the tasting menu was the steak. Our 'steak' was served with two small slices of beef, with one of mine full of gristle. Moreton bay bug ravioli would have been amazing had it not been drowning in broth that tasted like prawn heads. The mortadella was one of the most unpleasant things I have ever eaten. I had previously loved Italian & Sons but I will not be returning.
Written 17 November 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Bernard M
55 contributions
Jan 2022 • couples
Entering the restaurant you feel immediately at ease, we were met at the door and conveyed to our table with no fuss
We started with foccaci with whipped ricotta and honey which was served straight from the wood fired oven
We shared an entrees of eggplant parmigiana which melted the mouthwash rich depths of flavour. My main was lamb rage pasta which was delicious while my companion had barramundi served with a bed of caponata She pronounced it as perfect. We shared a bottle of Sangiovese from Tuscany and chocolate and salted caramel with poached pear
$200 was reasonable for beautiful food , wine, and attentive service. Strongly recommend
Written 18 January 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
…
Showing results 1-15 of 754
As Featured In
Best moderately priced restaurants
See all
Best nearby
We rank these hotels, restaurants, and attractions by balancing reviews from our members with how close they are to this location.
Best nearby hotels
See all 
Best nearby restaurants
See all 
Is This Your Listing?
Own or manage this property? Claim your listing for free to respond to reviews, update your profile and much more.
Claim Your Free Listing