Bar Angolo

Diagonally opposite Kazbah at Top Ryde is an unassuming pizzeria with some of the best pizza I've ever had in Sydney. A big call, I know.

The evening starts off with a 'Rossini' of strawberry purée and prosecco as well as a tangy housemade lemonade blended with ice which, when consumed too quickly, offers an instant brain-freeze. An antipasto platter laden with salame, mozarella balls, prosciutto, bresaola, white anchovies, semi-dried tomato and Sicilian olives is shared between three – the only thing lacking being some bread to go with it.

But it's the pizza which takes me by surprise here, with its bases only a few millimetres thick at most, with puffed and chewy edges and even toppings without being overloaded. The menu states that pizzas here are "stretched by hand only [and] cooked straight on the hot stone, not on a pizza tray" and informs diners, "Sorry, no super supreme, meat lovers, pineapple or half & half pizza". They obviously take their pizza very seriously, and rightly so. I'm tempted to order the 'Marinara (not a seafood pizza)' just because of the name, but we sensibly decide instead on a classic 'Margherita' and a 'Salsiccia' – one of only three pizza bianca (no tomato base) on the menu, topped with mozzarella, ricotta, spinach, parmesan, pancetta and sausage. The pizzas are thin and crisp, but not dry, and just a little floppy towards the centre.

Dessert consists of one each of the evening's cannolo flavours – custard, ricotta and chocolate – as well as waffles with banana, ice-cream, whipped cream, caramel sauce and an unidentified shot glass of other topping. The choice of waffles for dessert at an Italian joint was not mine, but they are fresh without being overly doughy nor chewy. Next time, I'll give the dessert pizzas a try.

But trust me, it's the pizza you should by trying here which hopefully you'll enjoy as much as me.

Bar Angolo

La Piazza, Top Ryde Shopping Centre, corner Devlin St & Blaxland Rd, Ryde NSW

Tel: 1300 264 656

Opening Hours:  Mon  7:30am-6pm

                        Tues-Sun  7:30am-10pm

happy eating!