Bada Bing, Bada Boom: Nostalgic yet cheeky Italian comes to the city

Posted on 6 December, 2023

The next venue in the revitalised Alinga Street precinct has been unveiled with mucho gusto.

Bada Bing Dining Club doesn’t just want to be your special occasion venue. It wants to be your weeknight go-to, your date night and your Friday night before a big night.

An Italian restaurant that promises to put the fun back in funghi pizza (sorry, I tried) Bada Bing is the latest jewel in the crown of Rabble Group, building on the success of bar and live music venue Fun Time Pony, which opened this spring.

Located next to Fun Time Pony on the corner of Alinga Street and East Row, Bada Bing’s menu is a nostalgic feast for the senses, with comforting Italian classics like Slow-cooked Lamb Ragu sitting side by side with lesser-known Italian dishes like White Bolognese and a menu of 48-hour wood-fired pizzas that will have you humming Dean Martin, led by pizza chef Picco, formerly of SPQR in Melbourne.

A relaxed eatery at heart, Bada Bing will be split over two levels with bar seating that’s perfect for an Aperol or Negroni with a side of sliced meats and flatbreads (bellissimo!) as well as larger tables and even a private dining room with a Sistine Chapel-esque fresco that will seat 12.

In the kitchen, pizza and pasta will take centre stage (shut up and take our money) while a few ‘hearty mains’ and a dessert menu of beloved classics round out the experience.

“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.”

The best news, however, is that this is not the final piece of Rabble Group’s Alinga Street refresh, with the final venue, Al’s Deli expected to open in the coming weeks.

As for a firm opening date for Bada Bing — watch this space.