Italian Restaurant Near Downtown Austin
Minutes from downtown on West 6th: handmade Dough Lab pasta, a tableside cheese wheel, a 20-layer lasagna and free validated parking.
If you are searching for an Italian restaurant near downtown Austin, this is a short guide to one of them: ours. Moderna Bar & Pizzeria sits at 1717 West 6th Street in Hartland Plaza, at the Mopac end of the West 6th corridor and minutes from downtown and Lady Bird Lake. What follows is what you will actually find when you walk in — the pasta, the dough, the kitchen, the prices and how to get a table.
Where we are, and where to park
The address is 1717 West 6th Street, Ste. 140-R, in Hartland Plaza. Parking is the part of a downtown dinner that usually goes wrong, so we keep it simple: free validated parking is available in the attached garage. Bring your ticket to the host stand and we will validate it. Complimentary valet runs Fridays and Saturdays from 5 to 10 PM. Directions and a map are on our visit page.
Handmade pasta from the Dough Lab
Behind the gold oven sits the Dough Lab, the room where our pasta and pizza dough are made by hand. The pasta menu is built from it, and two dishes tend to define a first visit.
- Tagliatelle alla Ruota ($36) — hand-cut tagliatelle with crema di parmigiano, Grana Padano, brandy and lemon zest, finished tableside in the cheese wheel. It is the cheese wheel pasta people come in asking for.
- The Famous 20-Layer Lasagna Moderna ($36) — fresh lasagna pasta, slow-cooked Bolognese, creamy béchamel, smoked mozzarella and Locatelli Romano.
- Cacio e Pepe ($25) — fresh spaghetti, Sarawak black pepper and Locatelli Romano, for a simpler plate.
The full list, with every current price, is on the pasta menu.
The 48-hour dough
Our pizza dough gets a 48-hour cold ferment before it goes anywhere near the oven, using Caputo flour and heritage grains. That slow fermentation is what gives the crust its flavor and its light, airy edge. The 1889 Margherita ($19) — San Marzano tomato sauce, fior di latte, basil, Parmigiano Reggiano and Partanna extra virgin olive oil — is the cleanest way to taste it. The rest of the pies are on the pizza menu.
Chef Leo Spizzirri
The kitchen is led by Executive Chef and Maestro Pizzaiolo Leo Spizzirri. The menu runs from antipasti and salads through the Dough Lab pastas, pizza, secondi and dolci, finishing with a Tiramisu ($12). You can read more about him on the chef page.
Hours
- LunchFri–Sun 11:30a–3p
- DinnerMon–Sat 5–10p · Sun 5–9p
- Social Hour4–6p Daily · Bar only
- To-GoMon–Sat 11:30a–10p · Sun 11:30a–9p
Social Hour runs at the bar only, which makes it an easy early stop before dinner.
Reservations
Online reservations are available for parties up to eight through our booking page. For larger groups, call (512) 646-8076. Planning something bigger — a team dinner or a holiday party? See our private dining page.
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