Where to Find the Best Pizza in Melbourne for 2026
From giant pepperoni-topped slices to vegan rounds, these Melbourne pizza joints have you covered.
Where to Find the Best Pizza in Melbourne for 2026
From giant pepperoni-topped slices to vegan rounds, these Melbourne pizza joints have you covered.
The slice is right with our round-up of the best pizzas in Melbourne. The undeniably delicious trifecta of doughy carbs, gooey cheese, and flavourful toppings makes for one of the most universally loved, globally admired, most reliable and hard-to-mess-up comfort foods you'll ever get your greasy hands on.
The best pizza joints in Melbourne cater to all your cravings, preferences, and intolerances. Whether it's thin-crust margs, Tokyo-style hand-stretched bases, giant New York slices, gluten-friendly rounds, or even vegan varieties, Melbourne's diverse, dedicated and delectable pizza options have got you covered. Use our guide to the best pizzas in Melbourne to savour a slice of the action.
Recommended reads:
The Best Italian Restaurants in Melbourne
The Best Pasta in Melbourne
The Best Wine Bars in Melbourne
The Best Restaurants in Melbourne
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At this vibey, laidback new Lygon Street spot, the pizza program, which lives in the safe hands of celebrity chef Karen Martini, serving as Culinary Director, and Executive Chef Mark Glenn (of Cumulus Inc and Dinner by Heston), showcases the simplicity of traditional pizzerias, elevated with deliberate, modern twists.
The tight menu features five red and five white pizzas, which are the responsibility of Head Pizzaiolo Sangsub Ha, a self-proclaimed pizza fanatic. He brings his specialised ‘Tokyo Stretch’ method to the kitchen, creating an airy structure that still delivers a satisfying crunch. The menu is completed by a concise selection of snacks and starters that nod to Italian antipasti but, in keeping with the pizzeria’s trend, are intentionally non-traditional in flavour. The compact, walk-in-only venue was designed by Dion Hall (known for projects including HER and Supernormal) to be a youthful yet retro space, serving the neighbourhood as a happy hangout for a quick pizza and glass of natural wine.
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Up in Pascoe Vale South, this neighbourhood pizzeria is dishing up a rare culinary combination: it’s championing simple Italian fare, while also specialising in both vegan and gluten-free dishes. Boasting Coeliac Australia accreditation, the restaurant’s got all the proper processes in place to minimise cross-contamination and ensure long-suffering diners can finally sit down to a full menu of choices.
When it comes to woodfired pizzas, the options for gluten-free and vegan varieties are bountiful. Many of the classic and more creative combos can be made GF and/or vegan-friendly. Try the Don’t Tell the Italians with scarmoza, prosciutto, pineapple and balsamic glaze, the Scotta Culo with salami, nduja, onion and olives, or the Gamberi with garlic and chilli prawns.
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Mentone’s always-bustling New York-style pizza shop, Sunnyside Sliced, has opened its next store, this time heading into the city. Designed for quick service, tasty bites and a convenient pop-in en route to the footy, the new slice shop is adding to a developing part of central Melbourne.
Long-fermented dough is topped with the likes of pepperoni and Sunnyside Cheese, partially baked before service, and finished to order. Cengiz set his sights on a growing part of inner-city Melbourne, finding a spot on La Trobe Street next to Marvel Stadium. “I’ve been going to the stadium for years to watch Carlton, and the food offering has always felt like an afterthought. We want Sunnyside to be the place people meet before the game or stop by afterwards. Meet at Sunnyside.”
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Stepping into Leonardo’s Pizza Palace, there’s a lot going on. Literally. For a Wednesday night at eight o’clock, it’s packed. A DJ is playing laidback tracks and waitstaff carry pizza and pasta to various nooks and crannies, navigating around punters waving cocktails and glasses of wine. It comes from the team responsible for southside favourite Leonard’s House of Love, and is home to some of the best pizza in Melbourne.
Expect to find traditional woodfired, charred and blistered Italian bases with US-style toppings. The pork and fennel sausage pizza is a standout, as is the classic marg and the mushroom creation (with a vegan option available). But do keep an eye out for next-level specials like a garlic prawn with squid ink salami. You won’t go wrong with any of the offerings at Leonardo’s, as the crew here are total pizza experts.
Image: Jana Langhorst
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The Bar Liberty crew have proved themselves masters of transformation at Capitano, which sits in Beaufort’s refurbished space — a light, bright neighbourhood diner with olive-green banquettes, wooden tables and Art Deco light shades.
Come for the pizza, both square-shaped and round. The base is sourdough, fermented for 48 hours to give just the right amount of chew. Plus, the kitchen doesn’t go overboard on the toppings. The Grandma pizza pie is a masterclass in simplicity with tomato, straciatella and basil, whereas the Cavolo, with Italian sausage, kale and cashew pesto, smoked bocconcini and piparras, is a more layered creation. To match these Melbourne pizzas, there’s an expansive wine list largely celebrating Italian drops and varieties and sides including a surprisingly standout iceberg salad with parm dressing and parm crisp.
Image: Kate Shanasy
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Gluten isn’t always the enemy. Sometimes it’s just wheat, a grain that’s been modified so much over time that many of our guts now struggle to digest it properly. The team at Farro is well aware of this, opting to replace wheat with 100 per cent spelt flour in all of its pizza, pasta and bread. Not only is this ancient grain better for our bellies, but it can even taste a whole lot better than wheat and totally gluten-free options.
The Moonee Ponds outlet marks the brand’s sixth venue, telling of its success. The mortadella with mozzarella, zucchini, ricotta and pistachio is a crowd-pleaser, as is the unexpected Agnello with slow-braised lamb, rocket and goat cheese. Many locals return again and again for the meatball pizza with organic tomato sauce and plenty of extra virgin olive oil.
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A four-layer slice of Italian flavour and sophistication, the multi-storey Stella is Ali Mousavi’s contemporary Aussie take on the classic Italian trattoria. Located on Chapel Street, Stella has become a local go-to for modern Italian meals, plenty of cocktails, and a versatile, multi-dimensional space where patrons can find their preferred place in the design-forward venue. Up on the ground floor, a light-filled restaurant space makes a statement of the kitchen’s impressive Golden Onyx Marana Forni pizza oven; while above sits a moodier lounge bar lined with emerald banquettes and sporting a hand-crafted light installation hung with hundreds of glass bottles. One floor further is the openair rooftop terrace, with its lush vertical garden and vistas across the inner-south.
The menu draws on Mousavi’s love of Italian cooking, with influences from his Persian heritage. Pizzas come laden with classic and creative toppings such as prosciutto and buffalo mozzarella, prawns with harissa and olives, and mushroom puree with bechamel sauce, caramelised onions and scarmoza. Stella has also recently launched an all-day brunch offering, available from Friday through Sunday, from 9am to 3pm. And we’re not talking any ordinary, avo-on-toast basic brunch. Here you can indulge in everything from a spanner crab omelette to truffle tagliolini with poached egg yolk and garlic cream sauce, to a spinach and egg pizza with Persian labneh.
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Soft lighting and dark features make 400 Gradi (Italian for ‘400 degrees’, pizza’s ideal cooking temperature) the kind of spot that calls you for dinner on a rainy night. The type that’ll have you instantly dreaming about holidaying in the sunny Mediterranean, regardless of the weather here. Given that the pizzeria has won multiple awards — including best in Oceania — you can forget about jetting off overseas, though. Clearly, you’ve got the gold standard right on your doorstep.
At this popular Melbourne pizza haunt, with many locations around Melbourne, you’ll find all the classics, alongside a swag of other top-notch pizza options. That includes the white-based Stracciatella with fior di latte, charred broccoli, and lemon zest, the Inferno with hot pepperoni, Gorgonzola dolce, ndujda and caramelized red onion.
Image: Kristoffer Paulsen
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Pizza has a huge spectrum of quality and authenticity, and Ladro, located in Fitzroy fallas on the side of the spectrum that does it very well. With a sleek interior, and a woodfired oven or two its a great spot to cosy up on a winter night.
If the pizza menu is your main port of call, you might find yourself faced with some tough decisions. Some of the best pizzas in Melbourne lie behind these walls. The Badabing with tomato, provolone, pork sausage, oregano and chilli has been a favourite for as long as Ladro has been serving it. Another well-loved option is Scout’s Pizza (affectionately named after one of the owners’ children), which heroes taleggio, caramelised onion, rocket and parmigiano. If seafood is your thing try the Gamberi, with its lush topping of lemon-marinated prawns, garlic, chilli and zucchini.
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When it comes down to it, there are two boxes a good neighbourhood pizzeria needs to tick: it needs to be inviting, like an extension of nonna’s kitchen, and the pizza needs to be damn tasty. Set in the heart of leafy Greensborough, Prefisso 3088 ticks these boxes with confidence. Its humble appearance on the corner of a strip of local shops on Hopkins Street belies the fact that Prefisso 3088 is very much a local pizzera in the modern-day format, where pre-bought bases and eerily uniformly shredded pizza ham instead give way to handmade Neapolitan-style bases and ingredients like mozzarella and n’duja.
On the menu, you’ll find a solid range of classic and signature pies — we’ve got our eyes on the slow-cooked lamb pizza that features mozzarella, cherry tomatoes, basil pesto and yoghurt, and the Crudo with smoked mozzarella, basil, prosciutto and shaved parmesan. Beyond the food, you’ll also find a handy one-page list of Italian wines, with glasses going for just $12.
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Rossi is a big-hearted Italian-French diner powered by wood-fired pizzas and plenty of Aperol Spritz. No big surprises on the menu, but the food is executed well. “We want to create a hot new vibe, a happening place where people come for delicious food, a great time, and kick on for a drink. Our aim is to make Rossi the pulse of Greville Street,” Nick Young said.
Ladro’s industrial vibe has survived the transition (the former occupant), but Young and the team added plenty of greenery, a courtyard bar, and some neon lighting to freshen up the space. There are gluten-free options, snacks such as oysters, caviar tartlets and calamari fritti to start, and a classic tiramisu to finish on a sweet note.
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La Pizza Napoletana at Il Mercato Centrale is one of its top vendors, creating some of the most authentic Italian slices around town. Each pizza is a celebration of real Italian ingredients and flavours.
Here, the team are plating up sensational Napoletana pizza, cooked up in one of the two huge puma-shaped pizza ovens. This is a must-visit spot at the new CBD food hall.
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DOC’s pizza offering falls nothing short of brilliant. At this Melbourne pizza institution, achieving the perfect balance means the thin, yeasty, crispy bases aren’t overloaded and are instead artfully presented with delicate toppings.
Simple yet ingenious flavour combinations make the menu a collection of genuine classics, and — against Australian tastes — there’s absolutely no pineapple in sight. Beautiful. Opt instead for creations like the Pizza Speck, starring fior di latte, smoked speck prosciutto, pears, gorgonzola and walnuts, a tiger prawn number with endive and Calabrian chilli, or the Friorielli with smoked provola, pork sausage and lemon zest. Follow up your feed at one of the best Melbourne pizza joints with something sweet and, again, entirely classic — perhaps the cannoli or tiramisu.
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Nestled down the eastern end of Johnston Street, Rita’s has hit the sweet spot. A beacon of friendly service accentuated by Italian undertones and a classic diner vibe, it’s a charming neighbourhood local you need to know about.
At this Melbourne pizza joint, simple, honest fare is executed with the right amounts of nonchalance and passion. Rita’s 13-inch pizzas dare to push the boundaries: the bases are rolled in semolina for extra texture, resulting in a puffy, thick and satisfying crust. They’re game-changing-ly good. Find clever yet considered toppings like a combination of potato, garlic, mozzarella, taleggio, caramelised onion, and truffle oil, or a surf-and-turf with prawns and pancetta. The Spicy Boss, with Napoli, mozzarella, pepperoni, jalapeños, honey, ricotta and rocket, is a crowd favourite.
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48h Pizza e Gnocchi Bar’s holds many global and national titles and awards, and for good reason. With more than a massive menu of excellent options, you’re faced with some tough decisions. The restaurant’s offering is inspired by the authentic Italian flavours that its owners, Fabio Biscaldi and Michele Circhirillo, grew up with.
The Marinara and Margherita pizzas keep things classic, or you can opt for everything from fried eggplant and buffalo mozzarella to house-made sausage and king brown mushrooms. There’s even a slew of vegan options (a whole dedicated vegan menu), including pizzas, gnocchi, salads and starters. With so many fab options here, you’ll find many of the best pizzas in Melbourne.
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This all-vegan pizzeria has built its menu around a hefty commitment to top-notch plant-based ingredients — and it’s right up there with many non-vegan pizza offerings you’ll try. And the flavour combinations are certainly not your run-of-the-mill. There’s a chicken souvlaki pizza, a banh mi variety, a patatas bravas creation, and even a cheeseburger pizza.
And the vegan varieties don’t end at the pizzas. There’s everything from wings to burgers to sandwiches and desserts that you’d be hard-pressed to identify as vegan.
Image: Simon Schultz
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The Italian brainchild of one of Melbourne’s most talked-about restaurateurs, Chris Lucas, took over its iconic venue on Church Street, Richmond in 2013 and has been a steady addition to this restaurant empire ever since.
While the venue is a bit of a scene, and a great spot for a fun night out, that doesn’t mean its pizzas aren’t top class too. The spicy pepperoni with scamorza, hot salami and chilli is a crowd-pleaser, as is the funghi with mushrooms, buffalo taleggio and truffle cream. The bases are thin and light, made with special flour from Naples to recreate traditional Italian pizza that’s some of the best in Melbourne. And don’t forget to add a ‘crust-dipper’ to your order, we’d go for the buttermilk ranch and the chilli honey.
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Melbourne’s north doesn’t have enough late-night wine bars serving oversized slices of pizza. At least, that’s what Sam Peasnell, and business partners Adam Goldblatt and Tom Peasnell thought. They’re the talented trio behind Preston hotspot Dexter Meat & Buns, who followed it up by opening a casual pizza joint directly across the road. The way it works is pretty simple: out front is a takeaway Melbourne pizza joint where you can order 12-inch pies through a small window, while inside is a fully stocked cocktail and wine bar. It’s the kind of place you can duck in for a quick beer while you wait for your pizza, or roll into for a few kick-ons after dinner.
Pizza options include such creative delights as the braised lamb on a potato-and-leek base with pinenuts; a Middle Eastern-spiced cauliflower number with raisins, pomegranate and harissa dressing; a miso potato creation with braised onions; and a riff on the Hawaiian, starring house-smoked ham, roasted pineapple and straciatella. Find some of the best pizza in Melbourne sliding out of this shop front window.
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A word so nice they named it thrice. This Melbourne CBD pizza joint does it NYC-style with 12-inch and 18-inch pies. Pizza toppings range from classics like margherita and pepperoni, to magic mushroom number, doused in truffle oil.
Also on the menu, you’ll find a triple cheese creation (that’s parmesan, mozzarella and bocconcini for ya), a loaded veggie optoon such a roast cauliflower with red onion and garlic, and a daily special.
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The multi-level CBD space once home to Cheek and Peaches was reborn post-pandemic as Dom’s Social Club — a casual three-storey haunt championing classic drinks, top-notch charcuterie and handmade pizza. As a sibling to Preston’s Dexter and Takeaway Pizza, it’s no surprise the venue is doing the latter exceptionally well, with an offering of light, puffy woodfired pizzas crafted using a three-day slow-fermented sourdough.
Choose from toppings like mortadella with fermented garlic honey, ghost pepper salami with pineapple salsa, and a salty creation with anchovies, Stilton, and roasted basil. And with two extra floors for drinking, playing pool and lapping up some sun, it’s just an all-round great place to meet your mates.
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This Italian takeaway spot is baking damn delicious Tuscan-style bread (schiacciata), which is used as the base for its pizzas. This dough is similar to focaccia, but it’s thinner, airier and crispier.
Our favourite has got to be the Mortazza, topped with mortadella, pistachio paste, crushed pistachios and a mini burrata ball — that you rip open yourself. This is so satisfying to eat. Other classic pizza toppings and seasonal creations also grace the cabinet each day. You can grab these bites to go or sit at one of the tables on Therry Street, right across from the busy market.
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