Pasta Shop, Potts Point Review Affordable Pasta Under $30 & BYO Neighbourhood Favourite.

Pasta Shop has nailed the neighbourhood eatery vibe in a cost of living crisis with all pastas under $30 and cocktails at $20 or BYO with an offering that will suit locals perfectly. Find out what to order at this very popular pasta restaurant and what it is like!

It's Friday night when Mr NQN and I arrive at Pasta Shop in Potts Point. It's a very popular spot, as the crowd attests. You leave your name and then they call you. Most people wait outside with their dogs, sipping a drink while waiting for their table to be ready. We have Teddy and Milo with us, so we're sitting at an outdoor table.

Paola Toppi is busy this evening and she and her staff are busy finding tables, bringing food and taking orders. Glossy burgundy takeaway containers are packed for takeaway orders (designed by Paola), and while new, it hums with efficiency. They do a good trade in takeaway and delivery to the Eastern Suburbs.

Sydney's iconic Machiavelli restaurant (now closed) was started by Paola's mother Giovanna Toppi and became a destination for power brokers and politicians across Sydney. Paola cooked alongside her mother for decades before opening Bar M and now Pasta Shop mid April 2026. It was Paola's idea to turn the signature Machiavelli pasta dish into a more affordable option using dried pasta and that has become Pasta Shop's signature dish.

"People are doing it tough. Pasta is for everyone, it was never meant to be exclusive. In Italy, it's a staple that people of all walks of life can afford to eat everyday," says Paola. The slogan "Pasta Always Forever" adorns one wall. Paola swaps hand made pasta for dried pasta in Italy and the menu has 10 pastas as well as 4 salads and meatballs.

We start with cocktails: there are four of them by Maybe Sammy at $20 each. My Lychee Martini is delicious and made with 42 Below Vodka, lemon mrytle and lychee, while Mr NQN goes for a classic Italian dirty martini made with 42 Below Vodka, olive brine, dry vermouth, oregano and grapefruit bitters with three olives speared on a skewer. There are also Italian wines, Sardinian beers, Italian soft drinks and BYO available.

We pair these with try the focaccia, which is made every day in-house and served with olive oil and balsamic vinegar. It has a nice sprinkling of salt on top and a crispy crust and spongy centre.

The pastas arrived quickly. The first is the classic Spaghetti Macchiavelli with prawns and sliced mushrooms. The pasta is cooked al dente, naturally, and the prawns are succulent and juicy. The sliced mushrooms are also a fantastic addition rounded off with garlic, chilli and basil. I can see why it is such a hit, it's glorious in its simplicity. The technique with the glossy sauce and al dente pasta is what sets it apart.

I love vodka pasta when it's done well, and this rigatoni a la vodka is fantastic, with a satisfying spicy kick to it. Paola actually recommends adding prawns to it to add some protein, which is a good idea. Although it's perfectly delicious as is with some focaccia to mop up the sauce.

We also try the meatballs or the polpette, which are three enormous meatballs that are soft and topped with shaved parmesan. Servings are generous and the meatballs are good size to share or in place of a pasta. I wedge the meatballs into the focaccia making tasty little sandwiches.

There are two desserts on the menu: a tiramisu and a cannoli. Our friendly waiter recommends the tiramisu, so we go with that. It's an enormous serve, perfect for two with soft sponge fingers mascarpone cream and a generous sprinkling of chocolate powder. I can imagine a couple having pasta, sharing a salad, cocktails, and a giant tiramisu and basking in the warmth of the generosity of spirit.

So tell me Dear Reader, what do you look for in a neighbourhood restaurant? Are you more likely to BYO or order cocktails when dining out?