An Ex-Bella Brutta Head Chef Is Behind Freshwater's Inventive New BYO Pizzeria Ribelle
You'll find cheesy slices and boundary-pushing toppings (like XO sauce and prawns) at this new Northern Beaches spot from an accomplished pizza maker.
Northern Beaches residents, you've got a new standout pizzeria to add to the top of your hit list. Next time you're after some doughy, cheesy, saucy goodness, turn your attention towards Ribelle, the BYO pizza spot that's just arrived in Freshwater.
Ribelle is the brainchild of accomplished chef Dale Mann, who brings with him experience from Ezra, Hartsyard, and one of Sydney's best and most-beloved pizzerias, Bella Brutta. Mann worked for four years at the latter, the last of which he spent as Head Chef. So with Ribelle you're in very, very good hands.
The new Freshwater spot is serving up the same leopard-spotted Napolitana-style pizza as Bella Brutta in a simple, no-frills shop on Moore Road. Whether you're eating in or grabbing a bright yellow pizza box to-go, the menu is kept simple, with a mix of classic and more boundary-pushing toppings available alongside a couple of simple sides like anchovies, baby cos salad and burrata.
It's also BYO, so you can pack that riesling you just got for your birthday or your favourite funky skin-contact and head in.
Laying the foundation for each slice is the pizza base, which takes the Ribelle team three days to make due to the need to mix and ferment the enriched dough multiple times.
Keeping true to the restaurant's name, which means 'rebellious' in Italian, some of the more out-there pizza varieties on the menu include The Reuben which combines 12-hour smoked beef brisket from LP's Quality Meats, pink peppercorn sauce, fior di latte, confit garlic, parmesan and purple sauerkraut; or the Braised Greens, a meeting of cheese, braised kale, rainbow chard, fermented red chilli sauce, confit garlic and lemon juice.
And each month there's a new special as well, allowing Mann and the crew to really flex their creativity. This month, you'll find a take on the classic garlic prawn round, with the addition of something you'd be hard-pressed to find on another pizza anywhere in Sydney: a housemade XO sauce.
Ribelle is located at Shop 15, 1–3 Moore Road, Freshwater. It's open 5pm–9.30pm Thursday–Sunday. Head to the restaurant's website for more information and to order online.
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