Group dinners work best when the food does the organising. At 170 Grammi on Crown Street, Surry Hills, the format is built into the pizza itself — every round starts with exactly 170 grams of dough, hand-stretched to a thin, crisp base and baked in a 1.9-tonne oven handmade in Italy. That base holds its shape when sliced. It passes cleanly across a table. The topping stays put.
Roman pizza for groups isn’t a workaround. It’s what the style was made for.
Why Roman Pizza Works for Group Dining
Roman pizza works well for group dining because its thin, crisp base — produced through high-hydration dough and long fermentation, then baked in a purpose-built Italian oven — holds its shape when sliced and passed, so the whole table eats together rather than in turns.
That structural quality sits at the heart of La Tonda Romana, the Roman style that Luigi Esposito has been perfecting for over 35 years and that defines the menu at 170 Grammi Pizzeria, 428 Crown Street, Surry Hills. The dough is mixed to a high-hydration ratio, fermented for 48 to 72 hours before service, and rolled — not hand-tossed — to produce an even, thin base that is lighter and more open in texture than other pizza styles. It’s what Roman pizza enthusiasts call Scrocchiarella: a Romanesco term for the clean, audible crunch the base delivers when bitten.
That crunch has a practical benefit at a group table. Slices stay rigid. There’s no droop, no topping collapse, no race to eat before the base softens. You can pick up a slice mid-conversation, pass the board to the far end of the table, and return for another without losing anything. It keeps the meal moving and the table connected — which is the whole point of group dining.
For more on the Roman pizza tradition, see What Is Roman Pizza?
How to Order Roman Pizza for a Group
The most effective way to order Roman pizza for a group is to build around variety rather than volume — selecting across flavour profiles so that everyone has something they want, and the table shares naturally, rather than dividing into separate individual orders.
The most common group-dining mistake is ordering as though everyone is dining solo: one pizza per person, no overlap. What works better is a curated spread covering the table’s range of preferences — ordered in rounds, not all at once.
Start with Shared Antipasti while the Table Settles
Starters serve a practical function at a group table. They give early arrivals something to eat, buy time while the group gathers, and shift everyone into sharing mode before the first pizzas arrive. At 170 Grammi, the antipasti menu includes Supplì di Riso al Telefono — the classic Roman fried rice balls with a molten mozzarella centre — alongside Fiori Di Zucca and Schiacciata con’botto de Mortazza, a Roman flatbread served with mortadella. Two or three shared bites at the start of the meal change the pace of the whole evening.
Build Your Pizza Selection Across Four Flavour Profiles
Once starters are on the table, the pizza order is straightforward if you think in terms of range rather than quantity. Most group tables at 170 Grammi cover four profiles well: a classic base (the Margherita Classica or Marinara), a veg-forward option (the Ortolana, built on seasonal vegetables, or the Burrata), a richer Roman favourite (A’ Carbonara or Cacio e Pepe), and something more substantial for the table’s bigger-appetite orders (the Porchetta di Ariccia or Amatriciana).
That spread covers the range without turning the order into a negotiation. It also works with the rhythm of sharing: land one round, assess what the table wants more of, order the next. The crisp Roman base means later rounds are just as good as the first.
See the full ordering guide for Roman pizza →
The Sharing Set Menu: The Easiest Option for Group Bookings
The Sharing Set Menu at 170 Grammi is designed for group tables — a pre-selected combination of antipasti, Roman pizzas, and pasta that removes the need to coordinate individual orders and keeps the table focused on the meal rather than the logistics.
If you’re organising a group dinner and want to spend zero mental energy on ordering at the table, the set menu is the most direct path to a good evening. Everything has been selected to work together and arrive in the right sequence. It’s the format Luigi Esposito’s kitchen handles most efficiently, and the one that tends to produce the most satisfying result for a group that doesn’t yet know the menu.
Why Surry Hills Works as a Group Dinner Location
Surry Hills works well as a meeting point for group dinners because its position in Sydney’s inner south makes it accessible from the CBD, Darlinghurst, Redfern, Paddington, and Woolloomooloo — without requiring anyone to travel far.
That accessibility matters more for group dining than for a solo booking. When you’re coordinating five, eight, or twelve people with different starting points and different finish times, a central, well-connected suburb removes one layer of friction from the planning. Multiple bus routes service the Crown Street corridor. Parking is available on Crown Street and the surrounding side streets.
170 Grammi Pizzeria at 428 Crown Street seats 60 guests across indoor and outdoor tables — the outdoor section suits groups that want more space, and the indoor room provides shelter when the evening cools down.
Practical Tips for a Smooth Group Dinner
Group dinners at 170 Grammi run most smoothly when the booking is made in advance, dietary requirements are flagged at time of booking, and the table has a rough plan for how it wants to order before everyone sits down.
Book Ahead, Especially for Weekends
Friday and Saturday evenings fill quickly, particularly for tables of six or more. Booking directly through the 170 Grammi website secures your preferred time and table placement. For groups considering the Sharing Set Menu, flagging that preference at booking gives the kitchen time to prepare accordingly.
Decide Before You Arrive: Set Menu or À La Carte Sharing
Two approaches work well for group tables. The first is the Sharing Set Menu — fixed, pre-selected, confirmed at booking. The second is a curated à la carte order built around four or five Roman pizzas plus a couple of antipasti. Either way, having a plan before you sit down shortens the time between arrival and the first round landing on the table.
Flag Dietary Requirements at Booking
Groups almost always include a mix of needs and preferences. 170 Grammi offers vegan cheese and gluten-free pizza bases and pasta. The earlier these requirements are communicated, the more smoothly the kitchen can accommodate them — flagging at booking is always preferable to flagging on arrival.
Order in Rounds to Keep the Energy Up
One advantage of Roman pizza for group dining is that it sequences well. Start with shared antipasti, move into a first round of two or three pizzas, then assess. The crisp base means nothing is lost on a board that arrives a few minutes after the first. Ordering in rounds keeps the table engaged and gives everyone a chance to try more than if everything lands at once.
If you’re planning a group dinner in Surry Hills that’s worth the coordination, 170 Grammi Pizzeria on Crown Street is built for it — the food handles the rest.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is Roman pizza good for group dining?
Roman pizza is well suited to group dining because its thin, crisp base — produced through high-hydration dough and long fermentation, then baked in a purpose-built Italian oven — holds its shape when sliced and passed around a table. Slices don’t droop or collapse, toppings stay in place, and the format encourages sharing naturally. The result is a meal that keeps the whole group eating together rather than in separate individual courses.
Does 170 Grammi have a set menu for group bookings?
Yes. 170 Grammi Pizzeria offers a Sharing Set Menu designed specifically for group tables. It includes a selection of shared antipasti, Roman pizzas, and pasta, removing the need to coordinate individual orders at the table. The set menu can be viewed at 170grammi.com.au/menu/set/ and confirmed at the time of booking.
Where is 170 Grammi Pizzeria in Surry Hills?
170 Grammi Pizzeria is located at 428 Crown Street, Surry Hills NSW 2010. Tables can be reserved directly through the website at 170grammi.com.au/book/ or by calling 02 9161 7773. Current opening hours are listed on the website.
How many people does 170 Grammi seat?
170 Grammi Pizzeria at 428 Crown Street, Surry Hills, seats 60 guests across indoor and outdoor tables. The outdoor seating suits groups that prefer more space or a semi-open setting, while the indoor room provides shelter on cooler evenings. Bookings for larger groups are strongly recommended in advance, particularly for Friday and Saturday evenings.
Are vegan and gluten-free options available for group bookings at 170 Grammi?
Yes. 170 Grammi Pizzeria offers vegan cheese and gluten-free pizza bases and pasta for guests with dietary requirements. Groups with specific dietary needs are encouraged to flag these at the time of booking so the kitchen can accommodate them without disruption to service. The full dine-in menu is available at 170grammi.com.au/menu/dine-in/.
Does 170 Grammi offer split bills for group bookings?
No. 170 Grammi Pizzeria does not split bills. Group bookings are billed to a single payment. Guests are encouraged to arrange individual contributions among themselves before or after the meal.
