Good Food Guide 2022: 10 of Melbourne's best pizzas

Want your pizza traditional, gluten-free, vegetarian or a little bit creative? These ones top the lot.

Cucina e Co

Birthdays, school achievements and date nights in Melbourne's south are all marked by a booking at Cucina e Co. With owner Peter Aloi's Sicilian heritage and a no-nonsense menu, the bones here are solid. Pizzas tread familiar ground, with diavola, marinara and sausage with friarelli greens all emerging from the wood-fired oven. Add warm and smiling staff and you have the definition of a neighbourhood cucina.

325 New Street, Brighton, cucinaandco.com.au

D.O.C

One of the players that kickstarted Melbourne's romance with Neapolitan pizza, D.O.C has stuck with provenance over trends or innovations. Prosciutto is legit San Daniele, capers are from Pantelleria and olives are Ligurian. Prefer your margherita with fresh mozzarella direct from Italy? You got it. Bases are lighter and perhaps less complex than some around today, but D.O.C is still the OG.

295 Drummond Street, Carlton; 22 Main Street, Mornington; shop 6, 7 Riverside Quay, Southbank; docgroup.net

Freddy's

The white walls, vintage posters and bare Edison bulbs hint at understated cool, but the menu reads like all kinds of fun. Puffy wood-fired bases are crowned with fior di latte, parmesan and black pepper for cacio e pepe while a heavy-duty mix of sopressa, gorgonzola, red capsicum and fior di latte is dubbed the Danny Zuko. Get the party started with snacks such as mozzarella in carozza or potato croquettes with gorgonzola sauce.

76 Chapel Street, Windsor, freddyspizza.com.au

Il Caminetto

This sunny corner spot in Melbourne's north-west has been pulling pizza from a red-hot oven for two decades, but Il Caminetto is now in fresh hands with a fresh look. A stone-topped bar is a perfect spot for simple pizzas like prosciutto with rocket or the more assertive cinco formaggi. Pizza isn't the only dish on offer, either: all the more reason for repeat visits.

114 Pascoe Vale Road, Moonee Ponds, ilcaminetto.com.au

Mother Dough

Every pizza base here includes three different Italian flours plus ground sunflower seeds, flax and barley for extra complexity. Dough sorted, it's on to the toppings, which extend to more than 20 different rossa and bianco styles: bresaola with fresh mozzarella and rocket, mushroom with truffle, and more.

86 Burwood Road, Hawthorn, motherdough.com.au

Neighbourhood Pizza Shop

Pizza is our religion, declares the awning, but this crew are happy to deviate from scripture in the name of flavour. Pepperoni is finished with a dash of honey, braised lamb and goat's cheese feature and there's even a Hawaiian. But capers, 'nduja and fior di latte put purists at ease. The pro move is to BYO something from neighbour Toorak Cellars between Sunday and Tuesday.

20 Beatty Avenue, Armadale, neighbourhoodpizzashop.com.au

Red Sparrow

Red Sparrow might be Melbourne dining writ large. Inspired by Naples' pizza culture but opting for plant-based fun, the kitchen tops 48-hour fermented dough with familiar flavours such as capricciosa and ortolana, then detours to Peas and Love, a vibrant mix of smashed peas, almond feta, mint and "chorizo". Smart flavour hacks come into play, too, like confit garlic, rosemary and leeks adding grunt to potato pizza. And did we mention there's a food truck?

406 Smith Street, Collingwood; 260 Chapel Street, Prahran; redsparrowpizza.com

Sal's

The ease of a New York slice is a beautiful thing. Late at night, squeezed between meetings or as a quick pre-show snack, a floppy triangle of cheese and dough can be a god-send. Sal's brings that convenience to Melbourne by way of Auckland and Queen's, where the story began. Sal's is an in-and-out kind of place and although there are more elaborate toppings, it's best to do as New Yorkers do: stick to the cheese or pepperoni.

289 Flinders Lane, Melbourne; 148 Exhibition Street, Melbourne; 238 Gertrude Street, Fitzroy; salspizza.com.au

SPQR

When pizza cravings strike in the CBD, who are you going to call? SPQR, of course. Named for the government of the Roman empire, this good-looker also shows impressive focus, offering pizza, two desserts and a precise list of snacks, which means every pie gets the attention it deserves. Vegetarians will love mixed kale with gorgonzola while big appetites might spring for the beef and pork ragu topping.

26 Liverpool Street, Melbourne, spqrpizzeria.com

Thin Slizzy

Would you like your pizza with a side of rock 'n' roll? Nestled between live music stalwarts the Tote and the Bendigo, Thin Slizzy knows its market. Pizzas go by monikers like Robert Eggplant, The Ace of Spuds and The Jamones, veg options dominate, plus you can make any pizza vegan (or gluten-free). Run by ex-Rita's chef Scott Penberthy, Slizzy's pies are slow-fermented and stretchy.

115 Johnston Street, Collingwood, thin-slizzy-pizzeria