They say you can see Naples and die. And though many Sydneysiders might never make it to the Italian city, we can get a taste of it – literally every night, if we so desire – through a slice of pizza.
Here in Sydney, pizza is one of our most beloved dishes, and the Napoli style – characterised by an ultra-thin base barely able to hold up its toppings and a bubbly charred crust – is our most popular. Brought to Australia by plucky Italian migrants after World War II, the Napoli slice is simple street food, topped with minimal ingredients, like San Marzano tomatoes, mozzarella and basil, and not much else.
When we set out to find the best pizza in Sydney, many came under the Napoli umbrella, with simple toppings and bases so thin, they almost fell apart. But food in Sydney is always changing, and our appetite for the next big thing never seems to diminish. Now, New York-style slices (like those at Epic Pizza in Surry Hills) can be found alongside Roman offerings like those at Al Taglio (also Surry Hills). And of course, our rich history of migrants means that we’ve always enjoyed multicultural twists on the classics. Lebanese pizza, for instance, has become a beloved category in its own right, and though purists may say it’s not quite right, we say, if it’s tasty enough, it’s fine with us.
The top 10 rules
With so many pizza restaurants in Sydney (and more to the point, so many good ones), we had to come up with some rules for judging.
- All styles of pizza are allowed.
- If available, we’d try the margherita at each place, for a sense of comparison.
- We’d try at least two pizzas from each place.
- A scoop of gelato is optional but encouraged.
Via Napoli, various locations
No prizes for guessing the origins of the pizza here. Though this is the home of those famous metre-long pizzas, there’s nothing gimmicky about the menu here. The crust is blistered and puffy, with more give and slightly more of a yeasty flavour than others we tried. Toppings are basic and traditional, with a focus on quality ingredients like San Marzano tomatoes and buffalo mozzarella.
Try the: Napoletana. The sweet buffalo mozzarella perfectly balances the peppery capers and salty anchovies and olives.