Chef in serious condition after arm pulled into pasta machine

A chef remains in a serious but stable condition after his arm was pulled into a pasta machine at a Darlinghurst restaurant on Tuesday.

It took more than an hour for a police rescue team to dismantle the machine and free the man, aged 25, in the kitchen of Sagra on Stanley Street.

Paramedics, a doctor and an intensive care nurse stabilised the man during the excruciating extraction which began about 9am.

"We were called to [treat] injuries as a result of an arm caught in a machine," a NSW Ambulance spokeswoman said.

"His arm was in there for about an hour and 15 minutes."

He was treated for multiple compound fractures and taken to Royal Prince Alfred Hospital.

The busy Stanley street was blocked off during peak hour as four ambulances, NSW Police and firefighters worked to free the man as quickly as possible.

The intimate eatery is known for its organic farm-to-plate approach and prides itself on home-made produce.

"Our menu changes everyday. We make our own bread. We make our own pasta. We butcher animals whole and only use biodynamics, organic or sustainable products. We're even making our own wine," its website says.

"We don't do this to impress people - we do it because we're proud of what we do, and won't change for anyone."

A WorkCover inspector visited the restaurant and issued a notice to the owners requesting they stop all work on the pasta making machine.

"A 25-year-old chef received a compound fracture to his right forearm and wrist after it became caught in a pasta making machine," a WorkCover spokeswoman said.