Marciano's

Something about Marciano's makes it feel like a party. It might be that the big, high-ceilinged space is full every night with families and groups. Maybe it's the well-stocked bar and barman who'll serve up a few entertaining tricks with your drink, or because Prosecco on tap means celebratory bubbles aren't even so much as a cork-pop away.

The buoyant mood set in long before the family business even opened, with more than 800 people eagerly following via Facebook as the former hardware store transformed into a pizzeria and spuntino bar. The end result is a space that's slick without being stuffy: timber floors, exposed-brick walls, bentwood chairs and a long bar made of Italian marble.

A huge wood-fired oven produces thin-based pizzas including the Marciano special, topped with fresh rocket, prosciutto and shaved parmesan. The pizza mightn't have the irresistibly chewy crusts that you get at Sydney's current favourite, Via Napoli, but the crisp base is perfect for a saucy marinara, as satisfyingly simple as it gets with tomato sugo, oregano, salt and garlic.

Pizza seems the popular order, but the highlight is spuntini - snack-sized dishes - an Italian take on tapas. Chef and co-owner Lorenzo Flammia's family are old hands in the restaurant business - his father, Marciano, is the man behind Valentino's at Penrith and has played a part in bringing Marciano's to life, too.

The spuntini, however, are inspired by Flammia's late mother and the kind of things she cooked for the family at home. They're "Aussie Italian'' favourites including frittata di spaghetti, mixed polpette (meatball, ricotta ball, eggplant ball) with napoletana sauce, garlic prawns, and a cheese and salumi platter.

The 'stuzzicheria Italiana' is dominated by fried comfort food. In the mix are creamy potato croquette, cheesy mini-arancini, and double-smoked ham and mozzarella sandwiched between triangles of bread and fried. The only non-fried component is a little pot with a few fresh, meaty anchovies threaded on toothpicks - an unexpected crowd-pleaser.

A vibrant salad of fennel, radicchio, fresh buffalo mozzarella and orange segments is a good counter for both pizza and fried food.

Service is attentive and efficient, with a few extra smiles and perks for the littlest patrons. We skip ordering a child's Mickey Mouse-shaped pizza for our 2-year-old; he's more than happy sharing our regular pizzas, shouting "yay, party!" when they arrive. Gelato for dessert keeps the party vibe alive.

Do … book in the extended family for a share-food feast

Don't … stick exclusively to pizza

Dish … stuzzicheria Italiana and Marciano special

Vibe … neighbourhood pizza and spuntino party