Allergy-friendly Italian in the city! - Fratelli Fresh

Establishment: Fratelli Fresh, various locations
Cuisine: Italian
Allergy information: they have a number of options which are or can be made dairy, egg, nut and seafood free and their menu clearly lists vegetarian and gluten free dishes. They have also recently added dairy free cheese to their menu
Suggestions: The linguine with chili, lemon, rocket, sundried tomato and pangrattato, along with the rosemary focaccia are dairy, egg and nut free and make for a delicious dinner


I've previously mentioned that I don't really eat at a lot of Italian restaurants, and I've actually had some pretty patchy experiences at them too, due to cross contamination. This has inevitably meant that when I've found safe spots in the past, they've become frequently visited favourites. 

There was Nirello's at the end of Westpoint Blacktown, next to the Library, with their delicious (and completely dairy and egg free) Penne Napolitana. Sadly, they closed not long after some friends of mine introduced it to me. Then there was Trellini's in the Piazza at Castle Towers, just a little further away, which had an amazing tomato and bacon pasta and a gorgeous, albeit ironically named, Bee Sting mocktail (of course the real thing, whether actual bee sting or alcohol, would be otherwise harmful to me!). Sadly, this too closed down to make way for a new Criniti's. 

Each of those discoveries were a sad loss because prior to that point, I'd not really found any places that had safe pasta and so these had become quite regular haunts for my friends and I. When Nirello's closed, that was one blow, but Trellini's closing so soon after just felt like I was some kind of allergy-friendly restaurant jinx!

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My friend, Shay, and I on one of the many, many Nirello's trips back in the day.

After losing those two places, it took almost a decade before I really found any new safe Italian spots and I'd actually really stopped trying. However, thankfully, wonderfully, things have definitely turned around in the last decade in terms of allergy-friendly options if you like pasta, pizza or lasagne and now, one of my favourite places to safely dinner out is Fratelli Fresh

The first time I went there, I wasn't taking any risks and just went for some rump steak with shoestring fries while the others tucked into their pasta and pizza. I was happy with that and probably would have been happy to do that any other time we went back. However, I eventually asked them if they had any good vegan options and they directed me to the linguine with chili, lemon and pangrattato. 

It was the first pasta I'd had out in years so, while it was very simple, it was a treat. It was spicy, tangy, crunchy and delicious, with just the right amount of olive oil. Then more recently, they decided to dress it up a bit, adding in rocket and sun dried tomatoes and making it even better. 

Now that is a lovely bowl of pasta!

While waiting, the rosemary focaccia is a perfect entree, although best shared lest you become too full up to be able to eat your main! Both are dairy, egg, seafood and nut free. Also, if you are unable to eat gluten, you can sub in zucchini noodles, or Zoodles, to make the linguine gluten free. I will note that one time while confirming the pasta was vegan, one of the servers seemed uncertain about it so each time I go, I do ensure they can confirm it is still a vegan pasta and therefore, dairy and egg free. So far, all has been well, but better to be safe!

Since discovering the updated linguine, I've been back a fair bit in a short space of time and in doing so, have introduced a few different people to the restaurant in Sydney Westfield. It is definitely lovely having another option in the city, and a different kind of cuisine too! That it's Italian adds an extra bonus.

Inside the Sydney Westfield restaurant on Pitt St.

If you love Italian food but allergies to dairy, egg, wheat and gluten have kept you away from some lovely pasta or pizza, I do recommend giving them a try. The Pitt St staff are lovely and helpful if you have any queries about ingredients and the food is definitely worth it. I am especially looking forward to finally trying one of their pizzas with the new vegan cheese!

Their lively location out in Darling Harbour. They even have games here!

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