Pizza is a staple in any meal, and Sydney has an abundance of wood fired pizza restaurants to choose from.
The best pizza in Sydney has a base and toppings that are both authentically Italian and innovatively Australian. We’re talking a mix of Neapolitan and contemporary pizzas here, so whether you prefer meat, cheese, or veggie, you can get your fix.
Glorietta
Glorietta is an uplifting new dining destination that buzzes with energy. Owner chef Aaron Crinis says the concept is all about top ingredients, impeccable service, fresh thinking and a good time.
Alexander & CO designed the 220-seat venue, zoning it to create distinct zones for different dining needs and to add interest to the entryway. A pizza oven, open kitchen and bar “ribbon the entry; creating atmosphere”.
The menu has plenty of woodfired pies topped with premium ingredients including mushrooms, gruyere cheese and broccolini spears. Also on offer is a range of pasta dishes. The gambero pizza and Tagliatelle with Italian sausage and mushroom ragu are both delicious options.
Da Mario
A stalwart of Sydney’s wood fired pizza scene, Da Mario has built a strong reputation for serving up some of the city’s finest. It is one of only a few pizza joints in Sydney that are AVPN accredited, meaning they adhere to strict rules and guidelines.
Whether you’re after the standard Margherita, with San Marzano tomato sauce and buffalo mozzarella, or the salsiccia, which has homemade sausages, mozzarella, taleggio and fresh Porcini mushrooms on truffle oil and radicchio, this is the place to go.
Aside from pizza, there are salads and delectable desserts like zabaglione, savoiardi biscuits, chocolate mousse, hazelnuts, and toasted wattleseeds. It’s a seriously mouth-watering menu that’ll leave you salivating from start to finish.
La Disfida
Sydney has a rich pizza tradition and there are plenty of places in town serving up great Neopolitan-style pies. But La Disfida, a Haberfield pizza institution owned by Ruggiero Lattanzio, is a standout.
While Lattanzio has hung up his pizza paddle, new owner Peter Zuzza (whose family ran Glebe’s Mixing Pot for 25 years) has kept the tradition alive. The base is elegantly thin, the crust light and bubbly and the toppings fresh-tasting.
It’s a casual dining place suited for families as well as BYO wine-toting couples, though a large wood fire oven dominates the ground floor. Old framed Italian advertisements hang on the walls and dusty bottles of vintage wine rest on window ledges and mantles.
Verace Pizzeria
Verace Pizzeria, nestled among the office buildings of Macquarie Park, is a wood fired pizza restaurant that prides itself on sticking to authentic Neapolitan pizza-making traditions. The menu includes classics like Margherita, a salty pizza with anchovies, and fried Neopolitan street food, calzone fritta.
The place is run by Stefano Cirene, a highly decorated master pizza maker. He’s also a member of the Associazione Verace Pizza Napoletana (AVPN), which has the task of verifying and certifying true Naples-style pizzerias from all over the world.
To be accredited, a pizzeria has to adhere to strict rules, such as the size of the base and the way dough is fermented, proved, and stretched. They’re also required to use the highest quality ingredients and olive oil.
Westwood Pizza
One of the few wood fired pizza restaurants in Sydney, Westwood Pizza prides itself on simplicity and uses only sustainable Aussie-grown ingredients. Their mushroom pizza and garlic-honey pizza are a must try!
Located in a cosy booth off Swanston Street, this pocket-sized pizzeria serves up some serious top-notch pies. Using 72-hour-fermented sourdough, they bake crusts that are chewy and blistered and the ideal base for shaves of San Daniele prosciutto and buffalo mozzarella.
The menu also boasts a few interesting flavour combos that aren’t too over-the-top, such as ‘nduja, ricotta and thyme; and potato and smoked eel. They’ve even got a vegan option, which is always a plus when it comes to pizza places.
