Simon Wilkinson reviews Anchovy Bandit

ANCHOVY Bandit has taken its name from a Quentin Tarantino script but it’s a fitting tag for a bar serving pizzas that might not be to everyone’s taste.

Anchovy Bandit in Prospect. Picture: Dylan Lee

I WAS chatting to an old sea dog the other day about his catch when the conversation took an unexpected turn. “I can’t stand coriander,” he says out of the blue. “I think it must be genetic.”

The pungent herb, that many people say tastes of soap, can certainly divide a room. But it is far from alone on the list of polarising foods. Think oysters, offal, brussels sprouts, Vegemite ... and anchovies.

Anchovy Bandit, on the other hand, seems to be universally popular, at least on the Thursday evening when we walk in. Small, dark and handsome, this bar and pizzeria is part of the new Prospect cinema complex, alongside other eateries including New Nordic, recently reviewed in these pages.

If first impressions count for anything – and they certainly do – Anchovy Bandit looks a place I’d like to hang out more. The fit-out from Sans-Arc Studio (Pink Moon Saloon, Gondola-Gondola) mixes clubby art-deco wood panelling, globe lamps and padded booth seating with some potted greenery trailing overhead. To one side, there is plenty of shaking and stirring action going on at a well-stocked bar and, at the back of the room, the star of the show, an impressively large imported wood oven.

The place is chockablock but the noise, like the glow of the lights, is at a welcoming level. The bearded bloke at the door, who also attends our table, does his part as well, making recommendations where needed and ensuring a drink is never far from hand.

Beef carpaccio at Anchovy Bandit

Anchovy Bandit (the name comes from a script written by a 14-year-old Quentin Tarantino) puts its own twist on Italian and other cocktail classics, such as Bellini or Spritz. From a blackboard list we rustle up a trio of “How Do You Like Them Apples” (another cinema reference), a mix of fresh juice, ginger and rye whiskey.

With a strong wine list and choice of beers via tap, tin and bottle, this is a city-standard bar, and the trio of owners, who have strong form already with NOLA, are happy for punters to sit down for just a drink.

That’s not in my job description, of course. We’re here to check out a compact yet promising menu of pizzas, pickles, snacks and substantial veg sides that sounds a bit like Sunny’s (the pizza place that is) in the suburbs. But, on this occasion at least, I find the cooking is a little disappointing.

First come the pickles, a selection that is generous in quantity but not variety. Shaved ribbons of zucchini are fresh, springy and have a pleasant sweet-sour balance. Red cabbage is OK in small doses. And the halved dill-style cucumbers are soft, spongy and so puckeringly acidic that finishing one is a trial.

Pork sausage pizza at Anchovy Bandit

Meats are a trio of good quality salumi, including slices of prosciutto and an excellent firm sausage studded with peppercorns. Given where we are, an additional bowl of white anchovies seems obligatory, and the little fish are a treat.

Beef carpaccio is a strange one, the |slices of rare-centred meat seemingly part-cured, with a firm, waxy texture and way, way too much salt. They are topped by another pickle, this time fennel, and a scattering of capers.

It’s up to the pizzas then ... and they are OK. For mine, the crust is too puffed and focaccia-like to rival the standard-bearers from the new wave of wood-oven places.

Eight topping choices are offered, including a straight-up margarita and “Mr Potato” with gruyere and caramelised onion alongside the spud.

“The Bandit” is a cheese-free version, the base covered in passata, then salami, chunks of smoked eggplant, green olives, the occasional anchovy and chilli oil – a little like a puttanesca sauce.

Another, more temperate combination has small lumps of pork and fennel sausage, chopped broccolini stems, red onion and a duo of cheeses, provolone and bocconcini.

The cos in a side salad is wilted, without much of the promised char, but the accompanying jumble of lentils, feta and walnuts in an anchovy dressing gives the leaves a lift.

Anchovy Bandit is a good place to sit with a well-made drink, have a chat and maybe a snack – particularly with a new menu offering a wider range of antipasto. Beyond that? It’s a question of taste, I guess.

ANCHOVY BANDIT

96 Prospect Rd, Prospect; 040 834 1304; anchovybandit.com

OWNER Alex Bennett, Joshua Talbot, Oliver Brown

CHEF Kate Ryan FOOD Italian/pizza
SNACKS/ANTIPASTO $10-$24 PIZZA $19-$23 DESSERT $12 DRINKS A playful cocktail list leads into strong selections of gin and whiskey, as well as wines organised by style and texture.

Open for

LUNCH Sat-Sun

DINNER Daily

SCORE 6/10