The Adelaide Pizza-phile’s Top 10

There’s an Italian saying, “Essere come il prezzemolo,” which literally means “you are like parsley”. But really it’s referring someone or something that turns up everywhere. Well, Adelaide’s pizza joints are little prezzemolo-esque – popping up everywhere, both near and far. Here are our current favourites.

Melt

Pizzas at this Hyde Park eatery range from updated classics – the Margarita [sic] boasts roasted cherry tomatoes, fior di latte, basil and ricotta salata – to downright contemporary: The Turk is a lamb, pine nut, pomegranate, provolone, yoghurt, mint and sumac concoction. All are delicious. There’s an equally buzzy CBD outpost, as well as a new Melt coming to Henley Beach in late 2017.

1/160 King William Road, Hyde Park; (08) 8272 8186

Where to Find the Best Pizza in Adelaide

Antica Pizzeria e Cucina

The interiors may be slick and the service canny, but it’s the emphasis on simple, fresh ingredients that really makes Antica a must-visit for pizza devotees. Here, flavours skew towards the traditional. The Salame boasts only Casalinga salami, San Marzano tomato sugo and fior di latte, while the Napoli is a pared-back mishmash of San Marzano sugo, oregano, anchovies, olives and garlic oil.

226 Morphett Street, Adelaide; (08) 8212 3337

Pizze e Mozzarella

At the unassuming Pizza e Mozzarella, all focus is where it should be: on the food. Dough rises for 48 hours before being hand-stretched, ensuring a pillowy base with a satisfying crunch and chew. The Calabrese – with nduja, hot salami and chilli – is our hot pick (boom boom).

33b Pirie Street, Adelaide; (08) 8164 1003

Chicco Palms

If you’d asked us a year ago whether a “hot pizza shop” in Brooklyn Park would become one of Adelaide’s go-to joints, we probably would have scoffed. But here we are at this Palm Springs-styled beacon in the middle of suburbia, relishing the tasty Neapolitan-style wood-fired pizzas. While the classic Margherita is the most popular with customers, the house favourite is Porchetta Nduja topped with tomato, fior di latte, olives and chilli.

437 Henley Beach Road, Brooklyn Park; (08) 8352 5688

Est Pizzeria

There are just eight pizzas on the menu at this diminutive East End eatery – but all are tempting. They’re neither strictly Neapolitan nor strictly Roman in style – think of them as a happy blend of the two. Toppings have welcome modern twists – prawns with provolone and black truffle, for example. Daily specials – one pizza, one gnocchi, one polenta – broaden the range.

30 East Terrace, Adelaide; (08) 8359 2272

Sunny’s

This dough-slinger is where the cool kids congregate to munch on slices, while sipping pét-nat (that’s pétillant-naturel, or natural sparkling wine, FYI). The menu is in two wry sections: Pizza and Not Pizza. Of the former, it’s the Eggplant Parmigiana that thrills the most: San Marzano sugo, eggplant parmigiana, smoked scamorza, garlic confit and basil.

17 Solomon Street, Adelaide; 0404 280 522

Lost in a Forest

Head to the hills for tasty pies in a quirky converted church at Lost in a Forest. Buzzbomb, which teams sopressa and mozzarella with a drizzle of house-made chilli-infused honey, is a perennial pick, but the menu also boasts some unique flavours worthy of a closer look. The Banh Mi, with pork, pickled veg, coriander, crackling and sriracha mayo is a case in point.

1203 Greenhill Road, Uraidla; (08) 8390 3444

Croydon Social

At Croydon Social, the tight selection of six pies has won us over, thanks to the slightly left-of-centre toppings, like broccolini, smoked mozzarella and Dutch cream potato, and the bases, which are proved over two days and come out of the wood-fired oven with just the right amount of crunch and char.

16 Elizabeth Street, Croydon; (08) 8340 8155

Tony Tomatoes

This North Adelaide establishment has everything going for it: skilful staff, a solid wine list and a strong menu of tasty Roman-style pizzas. Choose from three bases – the classic with dough that’s proved over 72 hours, a wholemeal superleggera (meaning super-light) and gluten-free. We particularly like the wittily named Jenny Craig Special, Tony Tomatoes’ version of a quattro formaggi. If you need a snack, pre-pizza, the Italian Fish & Chips [a tumble of lightly battered and fried squid and zucchini], is the winner.

155-157 O’Connell Street, North Adelaide; (08) 8239 0080

Pizzateca

This McLaren Vale hotspot calls its pizza menu “Vera Pizza Oztalia” – a play on the Vera Pizza Napoletana, the phrase used for only the most authentic of Neapolitan pizzas. Owner Tony Mitolo coined the term because he wanted to use local ingredients, notably South Australian tomatoes, rather than Italian San Marzano tomatoes. “We use the Italian ethos – freshness and simplicity, family-made and handmade — but rather then being a carbon copy of Italy, we use different [Australian] products. That’s something to be proud of.” Try the house favourite Margherita to get the full effect.

319 Chalk Hill Road, McLaren Vale; (08) 8323 9726