We’re accustomed to the idea that every slice of pizza worth its weight requires decent lashings of mozzarella. Which is why the news that famed Newtown pizzeria Gigi is a cheese-free vegan haven might be a bit of a shock to the unknowing pizza fan.

Dimitri’s Pizzeria and its eye-catching red-and-white sign had been a permanent fixture on Crown Street since the 70s; while it moved once (around 20 years ago), it had never left the strip — until 2019.

Happy As Larry is the CBD home to the storied slices of the Sydney food truck of the same name. Before opening the store, the owner spent over a year in Italy researching the art of traditional pizza making and his pizzas pay homage to the Neapolitan classic.

As it turns out, Luke Powell of LP’s Quality Meats had a long-held dream of opening his own pizzeria. Mates Joseph Valore and Elvis Abrahanowicz over at Porteño had similar fancies, and it just took a trip to the USA to seal the deal. 

This snug Marrickville eatery is immediately inviting, radiating a pastel pink glow that spills out onto the corner of the busy Victoria Road. Pizza Madre is brought to you by the culinary legends behind cafe and pasta mecca, Two Chaps.

Housed in a former cannery, Da Mario inhabits a large, open space — possibly selected to house the big red oven. Toppings are minimal yet deliciously paramount. That’s a big part of why we have named Da Mario one of the Sydney’s best pizza joints.

A fan-favourite down south, DOC Surry Hills is Sydney’s first taste of this beloved Melbourne hospitality group, which has a wide-spanning collection of delicatessens and pizza bars spread across Melbourne and the Mornington Peninsula.

Occupying the old Limoncello digs in Double Bay, this Sydney pizza spot is the labour of chef Orazio D’Elia (Da Orazio Pizza and Porchetta). The hero of the restaurant is the matte white cladded woodfired pizza oven with forrest green panelling encasing it.

The quality of a good pizza lies predominantly in its base — and the bases at Rosso Antico are super legit. They have that prefect crispy, chewy balance, and the toppings that amply adorn those base are on point. 

Opening a restaurant at any time is hard, but your back is really up against the wall if you try to do it during a lockdown. Despite that, Amani Rachid, Huss Rachid and Sal Senan pulled it off, opening My Mother’s Cousin in the middle of Sydney’s lockdown.

Venture down to the southernmost point of King Street and you’ll find hot pinsa romana emerging from Casa Mia Osteria. This inventive style of pizza is a contemporary reinvention of an ancient Roman technique that’s growing in popularity across Italy.

Pocket Pizza in Sydney pays homage to New York’s Little Italy, with red-and-white tables and plates, exposed brick walls, vintage NYC photos and a hip-hop playlist to boot. The 12 hand-tossed pizza pies are the star of the show here.