48h Pizza e Gnocchi Bar
SOUTH YARRA, ELSTERNWICK
In 2015, Fabio Biscaldi and Michele Circhirillo opened 48h Pizza e Gnocchi in South Yarra. Centred around woodfired Neapolitan-style pizza using only the highest quality ingredients sourcing organic produce from the Mornington Peninsula and imported goods straight from Italy. The restaurant which takes its name from the 48-hour time it rests its pizza dough has burgeoned into one of Melbourne's best pizza spots and has even won gold at the top 50 pizza awards twice.
Capitano
CARLTON
Capitano on Rathdowne Street in Carlton takes on the Italian dining label but isn't afraid to stray from traditional formulas. Famed both their square and round pies, there's an almost Italo-American feel to Capitano, even tipping the cap to New Haven-style pizzas like their clam pie with scamorza and confit lemon. You'll still find plenty of pepperoni and mozzarella dense numbers as well as inventive specials that earn their menu onto the permanent menu.
Primo
NORTHCOTE
Resting on High Street in Northcote's Westgarth, Primo is a neighbourhood favourite. Beyond serving exceptional pizza, Primo proudly boasts Coeliac Accredited and vegan pizza options, a veritable haven for those with dietary restrictions. Under its neon-lit signature sign, this corner gem draws a steady stream of locals seeking a taste of its offerings. The menu, thoughtfully crafted, caters to all palates with handcrafted pizzas and pasta, each offering a gluten-free alternative.
The Code
COLLINGWOOD
Inside this quiet art-deco building in Collingwood, you'll find a sleeping giant of Melbourne's pizza scene, The Code. Helmed by Alessio Albano, former head chef of DOC Carlton and an Italian native from the Puglia region, his knowledge of the craft is unparalleled. With freshly-sourced market produce, handpicked by Alessio, each pizza option is an example of simplistic perfection, from the quiet 'Regina Margherita' to the bold Capitan Salento with yellow tomatoes, tiger prawns, and rocket.
Figlia
BRUNSWICK EAST
The latest of the Tipo 00 and Osteria Ilaria famiglia, this trattoria on Lygon Street in Brunswick East retains all the swagger and excellence we've come to expect from the team. Pizzas take centre stage at Figlia with a slew of options each with a contemporary swing—tackle the 'Lingua' with ox tongue, roasted garlic endive and pecorino or the pinnacle of salty spicy 'Nduja' with mozzarella peppers and anchovy.
Sunnyside Sliced
MENTONE
Taking a slice straight out of Queens, the New York Borough-style Pizza outpost Sunnyside Sliced has been a monumental addition to Mentone.
The simple brick shopfront with neon light above leads into a retro-style diner where the pizza pays homage to true NYC-style with 18-inch pies which you can take in full or by the slice. There's a classic pepperoni, Siclian-style white base pizzas, Grandma deep-dush and even Mom's lasagne which is made daily by owner, Ali Cengiz's Mum.
D.O.C
CARLTON, MORNINGTON, CBD
A catalyst for Melbourne's modern-day pizza community, DOC is an institution. Opening back in 2007, the loud and proud Italian restaurant on Drummond Street is always busy, tables spill out in front and there's even a dedicated waiting section next door. The pizza is classically Neopolitan with combinations you'd expect in the boot-shaped nation, from the DOC a Margherita topped with fresh buffalo mozzarella and basil to the Sopressa with sliced salami, pesto and provolone.
Piazza 96
RESERVOIR
Just a short drive from the highly populated Northside suburbs, Piazza 96 in Reservoir is a lesser-known revelation. The corner brick shop serves up traditional-style wood-fired pizzas that are aesthetically stunning with perfectly leopard-spotted crusts and combinations that vary from traditional takes to more exploratory creations like their mortadella pizza with crushed pistachio, ricotta and honey.
Slice Shop
FOOTSCRAY
Slice Shop is the new New York-style pizzeria in the heart of Footscray from the Burn City Smokers team. Available by the slice or as an 18-inch pie, there are around eight different pizzas on offer each day, half of which are promised to be vegetarian. Although there will occasionally be an American barbeque influence in the pizzas, expect the classic New York-style slices that are wide enough to fold in half lengthways to eat.
Pizza Shop
CLIFTON HILL
Spensley's humble pizza outpost, Pizza Shop, next door packs quite a punch, so much so that if you don't get in early enough, their pies are sold out. It's a walk-in only and takeaway situation, where locals relish in the likes of smoked pancetta and burnt chilli honey number, as well as a few spins on favourites we've come to know and love from Pizza Shop. They also serve up a mean cannoli if you're after something sweet.
400 Gradi
VARIOUS LOCATIONS
What Johnny Di Francesco started in 2008 on Lygon Street in Brunswick East has blossomed into a pizza empire. At 400 Gradi the pizzas are classic, hand-stretched and topped with only the finest ingredients which the team imports directly from Italy—from San Marzano tomatoes, fior di latte from Campania and more. Bolstered by two custom-built wood-fired ovens the cornicione (rim) is perfectly crisp and airy to the bite.
Dom’s Social
CBD
Hidden up an inconspicuous staircase off Swanston Street, Dom’s Social is three levels of good times and stellar pizza. The dining room is vibey enough for a date, while the pool room is perfect for you and a few mates; you can choose your own adventure when it comes to the bill at the end of the night with a pizza and a drink coming in at under $50 with the right selections.
Shop225
PASCOE VALE SOUTH
A charming little pizzeria in the heart of Pascoe Vale South, Shop 225 are renowned for its pizzas and Italian fare. Also accredited by Coeliac Australia and have blown the doors open to some seriously impressive GF slices that they churn out of their iconic Moniker-toled wood-fired oven. The classically Neapolitan style of the menu leads to an extensive range of both tomato-based and white pizze.
The Hills
SURREY HILLS
The Diggin' In The Cellars empire (Milton, The Alps, The Moon, Clover) have added yet another stellar venue to their quiver, a comfortable wine bar nestled in the eastern suburb of Surrey Hills. The Hills offering has your classics like Margherita and Marinara done to perfection, along with more delicate options like a charred broccolini and salsa verde number. As with all Diggin' In The Cellars venues, the wine list is dialled. 20 on pour-by-the-glass and 250+ bottles to match up with your pizza.
Baby Pizza
RICHMOND
One of the original Lucas restaurants, Baby Pizza on Church Street has been a stalwart of Italian dining in Melbourne and has been cemented as a reliable go-to for incredible Pizza. On the menu Baby's Salumi Pizza is the classiest version of meat lovers you’re likely to come across, featuring Fior di latte, pancetta, double smoked leg ham, spiced sausage, borgo hot salami, and San Marzano tomatoes.
Rita’s
ABBOTSFORD
Surrounded by several high-traffic nightspots the now-iconic white brick storefront of Rita’s leads into a bustling and vibrant diner, filled to the brim with people tackling pizzas, wine and beers. With a solid selection of 13-inch pizzas, they’ve got a lot to choose from, take the Napolitana with olives, anchovies, and capers, on a Napoli base with Fior Di Latte alongside more inventive choices like the famed 'Surf & Turf' a salty and fiery mix of prawns, pancetta, with gruyere and chilli on a garlic base.
Thin Slizzy
COLLINGWOOD
Pizza but make it metal. Collingwood's very Collingwood late-night pizza joint comes courtesy of Scott Penberthy, a veteran of the Melbourne pizza scene who’s spent the last five years slinging slices at Northside Institute Rita’s. It’s a casual affair at Thin Slizzy that’s primed for the area’s demographic. There are 12 pizzas on the menu, each reinforcing the locale’s theme. Highlights include, but certainly aren’t limited to the meat-laden Meatallica, and a pumpkin number called the Smashing Pumpkin and a potato pizza titled The Ace of Spuds. Very good.
Deep End
FITZROY
This Fitzroy-based pizza destination is dedicated to several styles of pie with origins tied to the USA. Deep End is a departure from your conventional pizzeria, instead, serving up thick Detroit square pies, Chicago deep-dish, and NYC-style slices. The pièce de résistance is without a doubt the 10-inch Chicago-style pies, a stuffed, deep-dish pizza with just three options: a cheese, a pepperoni, and a sausage and mushroom.
Leonardo's Pizza Palace
CARLTON
Leonardo’s Pizza Palace is a 70s-inspired diner and bar in the heart of Carlton. Inside is an irreverent mix of wooden veneer and booths where absolutely knockout pizzas land in rapid succession. Here the slight charring of the pizza crusts adds to the unbelievable taste, the amalgamation of the two creates that perfect dough-ey crust with incredible flavour.
Sal’s Pizza
VARIOUS LOCATIONS
If you're Looking for a New York slice, it doesn’t get much more traditional than this one. Sal’s Pizza has been dishing up NY-style slices since 1975 when the store first opened in Queens. Luckily for us, Sal’s son decided to move to Australia and serve up some of the best pizza in Melbourne right across town. Quite literally, the NYC cheese is from Wisconsin, the Pepperoni comes from upstate New York and the tomatoes are from California.
+39 Pizzeria
CBD
+39 has been excelling in crafting some of the best pizza in Melbourne for quite some time now. Situated down on Little Bourke Street just off Elizabeth Street, they pay homage to Pizzaiolos of Naples with a selection of traditional-style pizzas cooked in a vibrant and eclectic Trattoria—which is typically absolutely brimming with city-dwellers and tourists. Our choice here is the 'Diavola', it's salty, it's spicy, it's just perfect.
A25
SOUTH YARRA, DOCKLANDS, CBD
Now somewhat a pizza empire, A25 has won over the city with its authentic Italian offering and ‘Pizza Is Sexy’ motto, which they typically have plastered in Neon lighting at each restaurant. With an artisan approach and a focus on quality, it’s hard to choose wrong here. A25 has a very extensive range of pizzas with a lot of emphasis on traditional flavours as well as offering great vegetarian/vegan and even gluten-free options.
Keen for more of Melbourne's best? Check out the below: