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A guide to Sydney's best pizza

Angie Schiavone

Pizza is the ultimate crowd-pleaser. A good one wins total devotion, but a declaration of "the best" one can spark civil unrest. So, at the risk of starting a pizza war, we've named our top five, but we've also added a few specific-needs knockouts to help keep the pizza peace … and because five just isn't enough in a city so seduced by the slice!

THE TOP FIVE

Sydney's best authentic Neapolitan-style pizza

Via Napoli
Shop 3, 141 Longueville Road, Lane Cove 9428 3297

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It really is becoming "Via" Napoli, as Luigi Esposito's much-loved pizza heaven expands shop by shop to take over a whole block. Sublime pizza by the metre and an epic loyal following means you can never have too much space.

Pizza Mario
Shop 9, 417-421 Bourke Street, Surry Hills 9332 3633

The authentic, utterly delicious pizza here gets the seal of approval from the Verace Pizza Napoletana, and from hordes of Sydney pizza lovers too. The margherita is hard to beat.

Lucio Pizzeria
1/248 Palmer Street, Darlinghurst 9332 3766

Lucio is the constant comfort of Darlo's Republic 2 courtyard, serving up top-quality, authentic Neapolitan-style pizza, plus the crowd-pleasing "Lucio" – half-calzone, half-pizza.

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Gigi
379 King Street, Newtown 9557 2224

All polished concrete, street-art covered walls and loud pizza-loving crowds – it's Naples, Newtown style. Keep an eye on the blackboard for tempting seasonal specials.

Vacanza
261 Bronte Road, Charring Cross 9090 2089

The next best thing to an Italian holiday might well be Vacanza's lovely puffy-crust pizze (try the baby arancini, too). There's also a branch in Surry Hills.

CALZONE CRAVING?

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You'll find terrific calzone – the half-moon-shaped folded pizza – at any of our top five pizzerias. The half ham-and-ricotta calzone, half margherita pizza offering at Lucio is justifiably famous. Another must-try is La Casa's polpette calzone, stuffed with oozy fior di latte and "Mamma's" meatballs, topped with a splash of bright, tomato-sweet red sauce.

La Casa
271 Lyons Road, Russell Lea 9712 3882

PIZZA FOR KIDS

To say kids love pizza is an understatement. Lily's is a sprawling space that caters well for big groups and kids (high chairs, kids menu, baby change facilities) and the pizza gets the junior tick of approval.

Meanwhile, the kids at stalwart pizzeria Frank's are with parents who ate at Frank's when they were kids. The decades-old restaurant moved to a new site a few years ago, but the pizza – non-fuss, wolf-it-down fare – hasn't changed between generations and nor, we suspect, have the prices.

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Lily's
162 Prospect Highway (entry via Quinn Ave), Seven Hills 8818 5555

Frank's Pizza
137 Parramatta Road, Camperdown 9519 3404

PIZZA FOR ADULTS

And then there's the pizza-with-drinks option that tends to work better sans kids. Pair a margherita with a margarita while you soak up the view and laidback vibe at Hugo's Manly, or head to the newer packed-out and pumping Frankie's Pizza bar, where pizza and booze is an all-hours option.

Hugo's
Manly Wharf, East Esplanade, Manly 8116 8555

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Frankie's Pizza
50 Hunter Street, Sydney

NON-ITALIAN PIZZA

It seems most cultures have a version of pizza (we'll leave it to you to debate which came first; some say the Greek pita). Lebanon's flatbread "pizza" – manakish – might be topped with minced lamb, tomato and onion (lahembajin) or simply with zaatar and olive oil. One of each at low-key Monoosh is a bargain at less than a tenner.

Sahara does the familiar fresh-baked folded Turkish pide, but the "Isparta", named for a city in Turkey, is an Italian interloper, flat-out and topped with chargrilled eggplant, tomato and mozzarella.

Manoosh
170 Enmore Road, Enmore 9550 6606

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Sahara
Westfield Shop 2185, 159-165 Church Street, Parramatta 9687 7898

LOW/NO GLUTEN PIZZA

Gluten-free pizza bases are becoming easier to find – although it's always wise to phone ahead to check. At Ventuno, you can get gluten-free pizza and a lovely water view to boot. Agape – the restaurant and spin-off food truck – uses spelt for its pizza bases. The good-for-you ancient grain is low in gluten and has a nutty flavour.

Agape
1385 Botany Road, Botany 8668 5777

Ventuno
21 Hickson Road, Walsh Bay 9247 4444

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DESSERT PIZZA

The genius combo of Nutella and pizza is, happily, not too hard to find in Sydney's pizzerias. One of the best versions is at Rosso Pomodoro, where it's served as a calzone with roasted flaked almonds.

Mario's, a popular suburban pizzeria, has three dessert pizza options: apple, Nutella and banana – the latter a tropically inspired calzone with honey-sweetened base, banana filling and topping of vanilla gelato and desiccated coconut.

Rosso Pomodoro
Shop 90-91, 24 Buchanan Street, Balmain 9555 5924

Mario's
81 Edwin Street, Croydon 9797 8326

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BEST NEW

Try Roman-style pizza al taglio (by the slice) at the new Cipro, 21 Fountain Street, Alexandria

ON THE HORIZON

Rumour has it, the crew behind Redfern's Milk Bar are set to open a pizza joint in the same 'hood. Watch this space …

What's your favourite place for a pizza in Sydney? Jump on the comments and share your recommendations.

Angie Schiavone is the editor of The Sydney Morning Herald's Good Food Under $30 Guide.

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