House wines, hand-made pasta and inner-city vibes flow at this buzzy suburban Italian spot

Italian food is popular at any time, but it sure gains an edge in winter. It’s a warm blanket over the knees – like the one left out so invitingly by hospitable restaurateurs to soften the chill. Good operators bank on its approachability, then ring in a few changes to tradition, just to keep things interesting.

This is by way of warning that the mafalde corte pasta ($28) at Fior is green. Like, really bright and vibrant green. Its short, twisted strands are coated with even more green – a savoury cavolo nero pesto – under a creamy cloud of stracciatella, the soft, curdy cousin of mozzarella. It makes a lovely upgrade to your usual-suspect pasta, especially given that it is made in-house.

And double-especially, given it is in Gymea, a good 25 kilometres from Surry Hills. Co-owner Tristan Rosier and partner Rebecca Fanning have a foot in each camp, with fine-diner Arthur and neighbourhood bistro Jane in Surry Hills, and family life in the Shire.

In fact, I’m getting severe Surry Hills flashbacks in the crowded, buzzy dining room, with dressy people sipping negronis and smashing anchovies onto focaccia.

The antipasti are a statement of intent, with options from South Coast oysters to Vanella burrata, Kinkawooka mussels, LP’s mortadella, and Saison salami. Some are kept simple, some are elevated; all can be shared.

So super-fresh arrowhead calamari ($24) has a light, crunchy batter and an aioli made punchy with habanero chilli. Mussels are awash with the gentle flavours of fennel, dill and a sherry vinaigrette ($19), a nice dish to pick at.

I’m getting severe Surry Hills flashbacks in the crowded, buzzy dining room, with dressy people sipping negronis and smashing anchovies onto focaccia.

In good old-school style, there are house wines, which allow a lower price point ($12) for the cash-strapped. (Please, everybody, bring back house wine.) Here, it’s a pinot grigio from Victoria’s King Valley, and a very Italian blend of montepulciano, negro amaro and aglianico from the Barossa Valley’s Colours of the South. Hear, hear.

With the savvy Lucchetti Krelle involved in the design, and Rosier project-managing, it’s an attractive yet simply clad space, with smart tile work, brushed metal, and the glow of a busy open kitchen, run by head chef Will Lawson (Fred’s, Ms G’s, Arthur).

The L-shaped room has an awkward entrance, with high stools lining a bar, and closely packed tables throughout, with some – less requested in winter – in a covered wrap-around terrace that will be delightful in summer. On this jam-packed Saturday night, there can be waits for food.

A highlight – and one that tastes really Italian – is a platter of charred, flat Roman beans ($12) tossed in anchovy-spiked bagna cauda dressing. Good on the side of a rib-eye steak ($120), spaghetti with pipis and bottarga ($36), or Skull Island prawns ($45).

Split and scorchy from the grill, they’re spiced up with 𝄒nduja butter ($45). Getting the meaty meat out of the shell may be a wrestle, but it’s worth it for depth of flavour. It’s also worth a fresh, sharp 2021 Verdicchio Borgo Paglianetto Terravignata ($17/$70), from the Le Marche region.

A cute little Italian gelato trolley is pushed from table to table, offering scoops of lemon, hazelnut, pistachio or chocolate gelato ($12) hidden in lidded pozzetti.

But it’s hard to go past the tiramisu ($18). Not because it’s good old soggy, heavy tiramisu, but because it isn’t. It’s a marvel of lightness and richness, with cloud-like cakiness held together by whipped sabayon, meringue and mascarpone, under the crunch of chocolate-coated cacao nibs.

Fior comes packed with good ideas, and it’s already clear how the local populace will get into its groove, from early pasta nights during the week to big tables and celebrations at weekends.

There will always be room in a shopping village like Gymea for cosy Irish bars like The Snug next door, and sugar-scented cafes such as The Portuguese Bakery down the road; but this is a step up. And, I hope, a sign of good things to come for every suburban shopping village in a 25-kilometre radius from Surry Hills.