| Walking down Lygon Street at 8.30pm on a warm Friday night requires a certain amount of will power. Gentlemen young and old stand outside their restaurants, scooping tourists and weak-willed suburbanites into their restaurants with promises of free bread baskets. Picking a restaurant out of that mix can be difficult, but sliding into Pasta Rustica is like finding a beautiful face in a crowd. There are more than 36 pasta dishes to choose from, without delving into the other menu offerings. Try the gnocchi with bocconcini cheese, napoletana sauce and fresh basil; or the rigatoni served with prime eye fillet, mushrooms, onions, fresh tomatoes, garlic and napoletana sauce. Warm brick walls and bucolic tables and chairs add to the rustic Italian ambience created by such home-style food.
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