Frat's Pizza

Overview

Mount Albert is home to some of the city's most iconic casual walk-in establishments — Mount Albert BBQ Noodle House (both iterations), Xi'an Food Bar, Ruong Thong Thai… the list goes on. But until recently, decent Italian is something you'd have to travel all the way to say, Kingsland for.

But no longer, thanks to the recent arrival of Frat's, which opened last year and already has become a favourite with Albertions. After a couple of months of trial and error, the pizzeria has just launched a brand new (and delicious) menu with a host of exciting flavours.

Of course, before getting to the toppings, let's start with the basics. The key to any good pizza is the base — you can tell almost everything you need to know about a pizzeria depending on their bases. Don't worry, I can confirm Frat's is top tier. Hefty fluffy sourdough, dense enough to hold whatever toppings you choose, including any extra oils and cheeses. (I said "yes" to both).

The new menu sees some classic flavours return, including the 'Caprese', a mix of bocconcini, tomato and pesto — but also some unusual newcomers. 'The Creamy Mussel' ($24) for example is a heady mix of mussels, garlic sauce and fresh herbs, and definitely for the seafood lovers out there. 'Frat's Sausage' uses sausage made fresh in house, while die-hard cheese fanatics should immediately go for the 'Cheese and Pepper' ($24) with its mix of ricotta, whipped cream cheese, parmesan and truffle.

Frat's is fully licensed but keeps the wine list extremely simple. As in, there's a red and a white and they each come in at $13 a glass. Want something refreshing? Grab a Peroni.

So yes, it's a small menu, a basic interior and a simple concept. But it's that simplicity that really goes to show, sometimes you don't need anything more complicated than just really, really good pizza.

Hot tip: Head in on a Tuesday night, when all pizzas are two-for-one. That's dinner sorted.