Food & Drink

Mozza Mozza Is The Hip New Restaurant Bringing Reimagined Italian To Southport

By – who loves morning run clubs as equally as she loves negronis and tiny snack plates

The Gold Coast is home to a plethora of beloved Italian restaurants serving authentic cuisine just like Nonna would. However, it’s certainly rare when a new top-notch Italian eatery graces the rather sparse north end of the Gold Coast. Say hello to Mozza Mozza, the hip new pizza-slinging, pasta-twirling restaurant bringing a splash of good times, good food and classic Italian dining to the Northern Gold Coast.

Mozza Mozza is centrally located inside Southport Sharks, taking over the premises formerly occupied by Carmody’s Restaurant, and its extensive menu showcases Italian classics with a twist—think tableside cheese wheel pasta, boozy tiramisu, burrata nestled on a garden pea pesto and sublime cocktails, all served with a side serve of disco tunes.

Oh, and Mozza Mozza also slings up cheeky mid-week specials like two wood-fired pizzas for $35 every Wednesday and two cheese wheel pastas for $50 every Thursday. Sounds like our kind of menu.

With a majestic four-metre-tall olive tree as the centrepiece, the 160-seat Mozza Mozza boasts a charming, family-friendly atmosphere that will see long lunches slowly drift into dinners, as the sun sets through the wraparound glass windows. 

Mitch Chesterton is heading up the kitchen and brings a wealth of experience, having proven his mettle in multiple hatted restaurants including Alchemy, Michaels on Tedder Ave and Peak Dining at Iceworks in Paddington, and working as the chef and owner of the award-winning Iku in Burleigh. 

Mozza Mozza is the latest venture from renowned hospitality identity Dave Galvin, who is the genius behind Crafty’s Sports Bar at Harbour Town. Mr Galvin says Mozza is a fun new local for northern Gold Coasters, created to offer share-style Italian food for families and groups.

“It’s all about classic, family-style dishes served with a little bit of theatre,” Mr Galvin said.

“With an 18-seat private dining room—the only one north of Broadbeach—and sprawling seating throughout,  Mozza is intentionally well equipped for groups, celebrations and parties, be it memorable family dinners, long lunches or a lazy Sunday of grazing and cocktails.”

Now, what you’ve been waiting for. The food, of course. The 48-hour fermented pizzas straight from the wood-fired oven are a major drawcard on the Mozza menu, with tantalising flavours like Italian salame, mozzarella and chilli money, and wild mushroom ragu, black truffle paste, mozzarella and thyme gracing the menu. 

Italian pastas bring theatre to the Mozza experience with cacio e pepe served tableside from a wheel of pecorino cheese and we recommend you get hands-on and pull apart the house-made focaccia and Mozza puff pizza bread. You can’t go past Italian favourites like old-school meatballs and lamb rigatoni ragu, while plates of arancini balls and calamari fritti are prime for sharing.

Mozza Mozza’s extensive collection of cracking Italian cocktails and spritzes is not to be scoffed at, and two must-try drinks are the Italian Affair (a muddle of tequila, passionfruit, coconut and lime) and the Southport Sour (a tantalising combination of White Oat mango gin, Cointreau and lemon). The Mozza bar features a selection of Australian and Italian wines and bottled beers, or sample Mozza Mozza’s own on-tap lager.

Mozza Mozza is bringing a breath of fresh, pizza-scented air to the North Gold Coast dining scene and it’s absolutely time you unfold a napkin here.

THE DETAILS

What: Mozza Mozza

Where: Southport Sharks, Cnr Olsen Avenue and Musgrave Avenue, Southport

When: Officially opens Saturday 26 November
Open for lunch Friday to Sunday; 12pm to 3pm
Open for dinner Wednesday to Sunday; 5pm to late

For more information, click here.

If this has tickled your fancy for all things Italian, sink a fork into the best Italian restaurants on the Gold Coast.

Image Credit: Clayten Fowler Photography

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