*This article includes mentions of merchants or brands who are partners of DoorDash, and DoorDash may receive a commission if you choose to make a purchase from these merchants or brands.
Not all that long ago, Sydney’s pizza scene was still in the throes of an overblown “gourmet topping” heyday, where fistfuls of everything from BBQ chicken to Moroccan lamb, smoked salmon, and bacon and eggs got thrown on top of bland bases and overly sweet sauce in almost baroque quantities. I’ve called the Harbour City home since 2010, and while I’ve developed a soft spot for the vintage Australian style, I’ve also witnessed how far pizza has come. Sydneysiders are now spoilt for choice — thanks to a renewed focus on the finer details and a reverence for Neapolitan tradition — and these pizza places are the upper crust. (And like any good pizza place, they all deliver!)
Da Mario
Da Mario in Rosebery was the very first establishment in Australia to get the sought-after stamp of approval from Naples’ Associazione Verace Pizza Napoletana (aka, the true Neapolitan pizza association). So, in other words, expect pies of the puffy, pliant persuasion that keep it straightforward on the toppings front. The capricciosa, in particular, is a wonder, and so too is a timeless white pizza you don’t see around as often, with mozzarella, smoky speck, and buttery Fontina cheese.
Queen Margherita of Savoy
If you want an indication of just how strictly this Cronulla pizzeria adheres to convention, just read the chalkboard above the open kitchen: “Wood-fired. Hand-stretched. One size. No half half. Please don’t ask for pineapple.” Given the regal name, perhaps it goes without saying that the Margherita here is righteous, but if you’re looking for a dark horse, it’s the pizza all’aglio — a minimalistic, sauce-free number covered with fior di latte, parmesan, garlic, and herbs
Lil Franky Pizzeria
Salerno-born brothers Franky and Mattia opened Lil Franky in Tempe early in 2023. Since then, the Neapolitan-style neighbourhood haunt placed 27th on 50 Top Pizza’s prestigious list of the finest parlours in the Asia-Pacific region, just behind the aforementioned Queen Margherita of Savoy and other leading lights in Tokyo and Hong Kong. The Salsiccioto is a killer white pizza with whipped ricotta and a one-two punch of sausage and crumbled pistachios, but if that’s not enough of a selling point for you, try the pistachio tiramisù, which has its own devout fanbase.
Via Napoli
A whole lot of attention is lavished on Via Napoli in Lane Cove (and Surry Hills) for the metre-long pizzas, which are like catnip for the large groups that pack these joints on a daily basis. Even so, the more commonly sized creations are frequently name-checked as some of the best around. The 4 Salumi is the pick of the bunch, a refined take on the classic meat lover’s, paved with pancetta, leg ham, and both mild and hot salami.
Lucio Pizzeria
If something on a menu bears the name of the restaurant, it’s almost always a good idea to order it. That’s very much the case at this Darlinghurst institution, where the house signature is a calzone-pizza crossbreed; one half devoted to a textbook Margherita, the other folded over and stuffed with ricotta, mozzarella, and ham. Owner Lucio De Falco was born and raised in Naples, so you can bet on a sharply executed Napoletana here, too.
Ta Ta Ta Pizza
At this pint-sized Bondi Junction shop, veteran pastry chef Shlomi Palensya specialises in pizza al taglio — the crisp-bottomed rectangular format made famous in Rome. There are 10 or so options to choose from, but if you’re as indecisive as I am you’ll probably want to order the chef’s selection — a combination of mystery slices that’ll hopefully include the Roman Bianca piled with roasted potatoes and blots of pesto. For pizza-adjacent thrills, the focaccia sandwiches are a worthy detour.
Filante Woodfire Pizza
The industrial backstreets of Banksmeadow aren’t exactly where you’d bank on stumbling upon a first-rate wood-fired pizzeria that takes its cues from Rome, but that’s where you’ll find Filante. This is another one of those born-of-necessity Covid-era success stories, opened in the throes of the pandemic by an Italian food importer and wholesaler just out front of the factory. Even the cheese is made in-house here, so it’s safe to say they take the fundamentals seriously. Order the Napoli, which upgrades the trio of anchovies, olives, and capers with cherry tomatoes and stracciatella cheese.
DOC Pizza & Mozzarella Bar
Not too many pizza places go to the lengths that this Melbourne import tucked in Surry Hills does, sourcing proper DOC buffalo mozzarella all the way from southern Italy. You can add it to any pizza you choose, but I’d say it pays to keep it low-key, either on the Pizza DOC with nothing more than slushy San Marzano tomatoes and basil, or on the Pizza San Daniele, which pits the cheese’s milky sweetness against thin slices of salty prosciutto.
DeVita Tastes of Napoli
The oven at DeVita in Manly was constructed in the heart of Naples with stones from the Amalfi Coast, so it shouldn’t come as any surprise that the food really does taste of Napoli. That being said, there are definitely some pizza variations here that a self-regarding nonna might take issue with: the Hawaiian, for starters, or the Rustica, which swaps tomato sauce for pumpkin-and-parmesan fondue, then finishes it off with sausage, burrata, and an almond crumble. Sometimes, the rules are made to be broken.
Society Pizza Bar
Bondi’s pizza landscape is especially crowded, and Society ranks right up there. Brother-and-sister team Jonathan Faro and Vittoria Wynne hail from Sicily, and while there’s certainly a more traditional bent to what emerges from the oven, they take a slightly heavier-handed approach to the toppings. This being a beachside suburb obsessed with health and wellness, you’d suspect the gluten-free base and vegan cheese options would be above par — and you’d be right. The No Borsa is a guaranteed win, with capsicum, artichoke, zucchini, and eggplant.
Rosso Antico Pizza Bar
Newtown’s Rosso Antico excels in the sort of pizza you want to eat as quickly as you possibly can, when its extra-billowy and blistered outer edge is piping hot and the centre has just the right degree of wetness so that it’s slightly floppy. The dough is the real standout here, emphatically chewy with a toasty flavour that plays off of vegetables particularly well, as it does in the Ortolana with roasted capsicum, grilled eggplant, and artichoke.
2 Bridges Pizzeria
This cosy 30-seater in Neutral Bay splits the pizza menu into two. On one side, you’ve got staples such as a bufala, diavola, and prosciutto with rocket; on the other, you’ve got more contemporary options like the Fibonacci, which levels up the four-cheese metaverse by adding pecorino and crushed walnuts to the line-up of mozzarella, parmesan, provolone, and Gorgonzola. Whichever side you choose, know that the sourdough crust has the heft to support whatever goes on top.
Johnny Gio’s Pizza
Little wonder Johnny Gio’s in Bondi has gone from a teensy local treasure to a trusty city-wide chain practically overnight, with nine locations that span the city, from Balgowlah to Kirrawee, Gladesville, and Dulwich Hill. The greatest hits are executed with aplomb, but there’s an irreverent streak at work, too, which takes things in all sorts of playful directions. Take the pizza called Fat Tony, for instance, stacked with capsicum cream, sausage, and a pile of fries. And if you’ve ever wondered what a truffled mac-and-cheese calzone tastes like, wonder no more.
Sal’s New York Pizza
The closest thing to New York City pizza in Sydney is Sal’s, smack bang in the centre of the CBD. Soupy vine-ripened California tomatoes and stretchy Wisconsin mozzarella cheese give the 18-inch pies a sweeter, richer complexion, and the hard spring wheat flour used for the dough ensures the slices fold neatly between your fingers. You’ll also see something here an expat like me longs for dearly, hardly ever seen outside the US: garlic knots.
Aperitivo
You’d expect top-tier pizza in the heart of Sydney’s Little Italy, and Aperitivo delivers the goods, having been accredited by the Associazione Verace Pizza Napoletana since 2015. While the Diavoletto, spread with spicy salami, hot peppers, and olives gets a lot of airtime, the calzones are exemplary, too. The dependable combo of mild salami, ricotta, and black pepper never fails, but the ’nduja-filled option is a winner if you’re looking for a bit more kick.
Verace Pizzeria
Arthur Premetis opened the first branch of his eponymous chain in 1970 and is considered something of a trailblazer in Sydney’s pizza stakes, among the first to use the conveyor belt oven. Now, there are Arthur’s outposts across the city (Randwick, Paddington, Maroubra, Glebe, Rosebery, and Bexley), all serving the sort of smashable thin-crust pizza you don’t see around much these days, the biscuit-like base thin and crunchy, the cheese dotted with caramelised leopard spots. Lean right into the nostalgia with a time-tested pepperoni or a foolproof Supreme.
Pizza Riccardo
Unfortunately, the views from the verandah overlooking the lagoon at this Northern Beaches favourite can’t be boxed up for delivery. The good news? That’s about the only downside to ordering from Pizza Riccardo, which favours sourdough for a slight tang but otherwise stays true to traditional Neapolitan style. The Gizzeria is the one to beat, a more-is-more jumble of San Marzano tomato sauce dabbed with fiery ’nduja, plus fior di latte, stracciatella, eggplant, and red onion.
Da Totò
In addition to its roster of no-nonsense red and white pizzas, this family-run Gladesville go-to has a ‘Pizza VIP’ section on its menu. Take the hint. This is where you’ll spot the namesake Totò, slathered in Bolognese sauce and punctuated with mozzarella, grated parmesan, and a fat blob of burrata. Over the top? Heck yes, and that is exactly the point. Bonus points for customisable settings that let you control the quantity of cheese.
Oooshman
The Lebanese bakehouse-pizzeria hybrid is a gloriously Australian multicultural mash-up, and Ooshman is perhaps the city’s most franchised and reliable exemplar of the genre. It’s been going strong since 1986, with 15 shops all over town, from Chatswood and Mosman to Penrith, Baulkham Hills, and Thornleigh. The conveyor-belt-oven pizzas here are graduates of the more-is-more school, loaded with the likes of BBQ chicken, Mediterranean beef, and chorizo. The Lebanese flatbreads, by contrast, are disarmingly simple — take the man’oushe scattered with za’atar or the lahembajin carpeted in sweetly spiced minced meat and herbs.
