Via Napoli Pizzeria

Via Napoli has but a small amount of indoor seating, with the majority being on the slanted footpath situated undercover and equipped with gas heaters when needed. The tables are arranged quite close together and the ambient chatter is punctuated with Italian being exchanged between the waitstaff. I may not be in Naples but the pizza is quite likely to be the best I’ve had in Sydney.

Glass doors into their shop-space are covered in photos of famous diners, including Alessandro Pavoni and Adriano Zumbo, but these do not detract from the shiny red meat slicer which has a leg of prosciutto sitting in it at-the-ready on our first visit. And so after devouring a menu special of cheese-filled zucchini flowers – the batter a little thick and oily, unfortunately – we can’t help but order the ‘Prosciutto e buffala’ which, at $15, provides you with plenty of whisper-thin prosciutto ribbons and a milky ball of mozzarella which needs nothing more than its sprinkling of cracked black pepper. (We end up taking half of it home because we can’t finish it.)

Then it’s onto this restaurant’s namesake of pizza. It’s a small ‘Diavola’ with tomato base topped with hot salami, fior di latte, olives and basil for us. The blackened, blistered crust and crispy salami pieces are encouraging signs, and the pizza triumphs with its generous cheesiness. The toppings on the menu are uncomplicated with no seafood nor pineapple in sight, with a few being on a white base, and with all available in 3 sizes – 13-inch, 50cm and the awe-inspiring 1-metre.

The husband ends the night with a tiramisu and coffee; the former which is creamy and softly set. As we leave we spot someone with a takeaway 1-metre pizza box and vow to be back to try it for ourselves.

We return with a group of friends to share the ‘Fritto misto’ of grilled polenta, potato croquette, crumbed and deep-fried mozzarella plus battered zucchini and eggplant pieces. Bread flows on the table and there is an antipasti plate piled high with deli meats and a range of cheeses. But the main event is the 1-metre pizza adorned with 3 toppings – ‘Quattro salumi’, ‘Margherita’ and ‘Crudo e rucola’ – which is presented to us on a plank to shouts of “One metre pizza!” from staff. It is a bit of fun novelty to have such a giant version in front of us but the husband and I actually prefer the less soggy base of their smaller size.

So when it comes to dessert, we stick to a 13-inch Nutella pizza and give a trio of their cannoli a try. The classic ricotta-filled cannoli is the best, but is eclipsed by the mess of warm, gooey Nutella on that crisp, chewy pizza base.

Via Napoli Pizzeria

Shop 3, 141 Longueville Rd (cnr Austin St), Lane Cove NSW

Tel: (02) 9428 3297

Opening Hours:  Wed-Mon  12pm-3pm (lunch)

                                        5pm-10pm (dinner)

                        Tues  CLOSED

happy eating!