I consider myself somewhat of a connoisseur when it comes to Italian restaurants in Canberra – they’re probably one of my greatest joys in life as a foodie – so I’m not sure why it took me almost three months to check out Bada Bing Dining Club, Canberra’s newest Italian restaurant in the iconic Sydney Building on the corner of Alinga Street and East Row.
The restaurant opened in early December, and I’m sad to have missed so many potential Friday nights I could have spent there. Bada Bing Dining Club combines retro Italian and light-hearted fun. It keeps all the elements that make classic Italian so comforting and familiar and takes it up a notch with a relaxed atmosphere, impeccable style, and casual service that doesn’t compromise on quality.
I first visited Bada Bing Dining Club with a friend on a Friday night and was more than pleased with the experience. I used writing a Bada Bing Dining Club review and the fact that I still needed to sample the dessert menu as an excuse to celebrate my anniversary there with my partner a few days later. Here’s a summary of my full experience now that Bada Bing Dining Club and I are very well acquainted.
Introducing The Rabble Group
The restaurant is the newest venture of the Rabble Group, which already has two other venues on Alinga Street: Al’s Deli & Diner and the successful live music venue Fun Time Pony. Just down the road in Braddon, you’ll certainly be familiar with their flagship venue, Assembly The People’s Pub. They have two more venues in Canberra, further from the CBD, as well as two venues in Sydney. The success of these half-a-dozen venues goes to show that whatever the Rabble Group is doing, it’s working.
The management lineup at Bada Bing clearly shows that the Rabble Group is well-connected in terms of talent. Respected sommelier Brady Scholes thoughtfully curated the wine list, and head chef Brian Kelly, a Rabble group veteran, created the dishes.
“Bada Bing Dining Club is a collaboration amongst friends,” says Rabble Group Executive Chef Brendan Guy. “We could see what Canberra was missing and took inspiration from venues such as Alberto’s Lounge, Ragazzi and Pellegrino 2000 in Sydney.”
“Each dish has been designed to complement our wine and cocktail lists while putting our own twist on the Italian feel. We are stoked to be bringing modern Italian to Canberra.”
Taste
The food did not disappoint, and I have high standards when it comes to Italian. I started the meal off both times (I couldn’t resist) with Supplì al telefono, a small arancini-style ball made with a simple sauce, rice, and fresh mozzarella. It’s a recipe that can easily taste bland when not done right, but the quality of the ingredients used negated any chance of that. High-quality, fresh fior de latte (mozzarella made from cow’s milk rather than buffalo) has a flavour that speaks for itself. The crumbling of the Supplì al telefono was also perfectly crispy and salted. I would have ordered a dozen more if I didn’t know what was to come!
In terms of main meals, there are no wrong choices on the menu. They have a range of classic Italian meals, like diavola pizza and white bolognese, as well as more adventurous dishes you’re not likely to find elsewhere in Canberra, like their eggplant and ricotta ravioli, Balmain bug risotto or swordfish cutlet. I opted for the more classic options to get a proper benchmark for the quality of the food. We had the Amatriciana pasta, the Margherita and the Salsiccia pizza, before finishing the meal off with tiramisu, and nothing disappointed.
The pizza dough was some of the best I’ve had in Canberra (and I’ve tried it all) – it was soft, fluffy and just cooked enough to avoid being chewy. I’d be content eating that dough by itself. I also have nothing but praise for the toppings – generally, I’ve found that the more expensive the pizza, the fewer toppings you get, but this wasn’t the case here. The Salisccia pizza was topped with a generous amount of pork and fennel sausage, which pairs nicely with the lashings of gorgonzola for de latte and thinly sliced roast potato. Although I would love to try the other pizzas on the menu, I think I will struggle to order anything different next time.
Next up: the pasta. All the pasta is made fresh in-house daily and cooked in the Al Dente style for a slightly chewy texture. The only downside is that now I’m slightly put off my favourite weekday easy meal, as out-of-the-box pasta won’t cut it anymore. The pasta was served in traditional Amatriciana sauce with a healthy amount of crunchy guanciale (cured pork jowl). It wasn’t as spicy as I expected, so don’t hesitate to order it if you’re not a fan of heat. Next time, I’ll be sure to ask for extra chilli.
Service
The Rabble Group’s reputation precedes itself, so I had high expectations when it comes to the menu and decor. My expectations for service were not so high – venues run by a conglomerate sometimes have a more impersonal, clinical approach to service and a revolving door of staff. However, this was anything but the case at Bada Bing. The staff did everything they could to make my special occasion feel like just that – special.
Upon arrival, I mentioned it was a special occasion, and the waitress was at the table two minutes later with complimentary glasses of Prosecco. This set the tone for the relaxed and decadent dinner I was about to have perfectly. The staff were quick to take our order for each course of the meal with a warm smile, and the food came out promptly for each course as well. When my dessert arrived, the was a small fly on my tiramisu plate that flown in from the nearby window – hardly a big deal – but the waitress insisted on bringing me a fresh tiramisu and taking it off the bill entirely.
They had plenty of staff on, even for a relatively quiet Thursday night. This is the inverse of one of my biggest pet peeves when it comes to dining out – understaffed restaurants lead to visibly stressed staff and a lower quality of service all around. I’ve been on both sides of that situation as a waitress and as a guest, and it’s not a good time for anyone involved. However, the staff at Bada Bing were plentiful and relaxed while providing considerate and attentive service to every table.
Ambience
Bada Bing’s decor takes clear inspiration from old-school Italian culture and vintage aesthetics. Retro Italian wallpaper, high wood-panelled walls, and checkered lino give the restaurant a comfortable, homely feel. The restaurant has a wide range of seating for different groups and occasions, including cozy booth seating, an open-plan bar area, and a private dining room for functions with a fresco reminiscent of the Sistine Chapel. It’s evident that every single detail of the atmosphere has been carefully thought through to create that laidback, nostalgic atmosphere.
My one criticism of the decor is that noise tends to bounce a lot around the open-plan restaurant – I had to ask to be moved to a quieter corner of the restaurant even when the restaurant was less than half full.
Value For Money
Compared to most traditional restaurants around Canberra, the portion sizes were relatively small for the price. The pasta comes in small bowls and will run you between $28 and $38. Just down the street at Mama’s Trattoria, one of Canberra’s longest-standing Italian restaurants, you can get a truly massive helping of tortellini for $21.
However, I think the price is worth it, considering the freshness and quality of the ingredients. You can tell a lot of love and labour went into the dishes as well – daily fresh-baked pasta, 48-hour wood-fired pizzas and slow-cooked lamb ragu are all time-consuming processes that require expertise. I’m happy to pay a little bit more for the privilege of eating something I would never have the time or knowledge to cook myself at home.
I’m looking forward to returning to Bada Bing to try their tuna and scallop tortellini followed by the lemon and ricotta cannoli. Let us know if you enjoy Bada Bing Dining as much as I did! Bada Bing operates from Tuesday to Saturday from 12 to 3pm for lunch and 5pm until late for dinner. You can book online through their website.