In tandem with our guide to Melbourne’s best pizza restaurants, we’re turning our attention toward all things delicious and doughy in Sydney.
For over a decade, Sydney has had a range of authentic Neapolitan-style pizzerias, but beyond purveyors of the margherita or quattro formaggi, there’s a decent chunk of eateries that are reimagining the ubiquitous Italian pie with scrummy creativity.
From established favourites like Via Napoli to the more modern and playful fare of Westwood Pizza, there are a lot of options worth sinking one’s teeth into when you’re hankering after the best pizza in Sydney. Browse through our favourites below.
170 Grammi, Surry Hills (Best Value)
Taking up residence in the storefront formerly occupied by Pizza Fritta, 170 Grammi instantly blipped on foodies’ radars when it opened earlier this year – owing to its connection with beloved North Shore institution, Via Napoli. Intended by Chef-Owner Luigi Esposito as a love letter to the street food of Rome (where his wife hails from), the pizzas slung out of the venue’s oven are suitably distinct from what you’ll find at a Neapolitan pizzeria.
In the Romanesco dialect, there’s an adjective to describe the glass-like crunch and texture that typifies this style of dough: scrocchiarella. This is achieved via a recipe that utilises less water and a fixed flour quantity of 170g per pizza (thus the restaurant’s name).
Fittingly, many of 170 Grammi’s signature toppings crib from the canon of classical Roman pasta dishes: the ‘Porchetta di Ariccia’ is easily one of the most delicious white-base slices we’ve sampled this year, succeeding on all fronts with its razor-thin potato slices, smoked scamorza, and satisfyingly crunchy pork crackling.
Diners weary of comically small $100+ tasting menus should also make it their mission to secure a booking. Individual pizzas hover, almost without exception, around the $25 mark and are sized at a very shareable 13 inches. On the vinous front, the punchiest bottle (a Montepulciano from Italy’s southerly region of Abruzzo) will set you back $65. Suffice it to say: this is delicious pizza at its most popolare.
Address: 428 Crown Street, Surry Hills NSW 2010
Contact: (02) 9161 7773
Opening Hours: Wednesday – Thursday (5 PM – 10 PM); Friday – Sunday (12 PM – 10 PM)