Brisbane’s best value dine-in pizza restaurants

From wood-fired and authentically Italian to wonderfully fun flavour combos, here are the best value dine-in pizza restaurants in Brisbane.

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It’s one of Australia’s favourite foods, but the humble pizza is now costing more than ever at restaurants across Brisbane.

The Italian classic has been hit hard by rising ingredient costs, with increased international shipping fees affecting the price of imported cheese and flour, while floods down south have sent selected fruit and vegetable prices soaring.

“The cost of produce has gone up considerably – easily 30 to 40 per cent – and some things have gone up double, like tomatoes,” said Joseph Vecchio from Prova Pizzeria in Stafford Heights, in Brisbane’s north.

Mr Vecchio, who runs the business with his wife Caterina Sullivan, said rising costs had trimmed their profits as they tried to find a price that worked for consumers and their bottom line.

Joseph Vecchio with Caterina Sullivan at Prova Pizzeria in Stafford Heights. Picture: Steve Pohlner

“You can always put the price up but if you put them up too high you might end up losing customers so we try to find the right balance of buying great quality produce and not putting customers off side,” he said.

The restaurant, like many other establishments across Brisbane, was forced to put its prices up two months ago to combat increased costs, with pizzas now at their most expensive across the city.

Longtime institution Beccofino in Teneriffe lifted their pizzas by a few dollars recently with their average pizza now between $26-$28, while Etna in Fortitude Valley is charging up to a whopping $38 for a king prawn dough creation.

But that doesn’t mean you can’t still grab a bargain.

We’ve found the best pizza restaurants where you can get two top-notch dough disks for under $50 in a comfortable dine-in setting with friendly service.

From wood-fired and authentically Italian to wonderfully bastardised with fun flavour combos, here are our best value, dine-in pizza restaurants.

ANTICA

1/70 Kedron Brook Rd, Wilston | 3358 4150 | anticapizzeria.net.au

Pizza at Antica Pizzeria at Wilston.

Antica started as Pizzantica in the back of a kombi, moved to Casa Italia at New Farm, then abbreviated its name and moved to more upmarket digs at Wilston. Now it’s a must-book hotspot. You’ll see happy families starting early for the wood-fired goodness. The house speciality is designed for a crowd – a long pizza split in half with tomato, burrata and balsamic pearls on one side and fig, honey and goat’s cheese on the other. Margherita is a given, while gamberi and prosciutto run hot. Unlike most traditional pizza spots, there are dedicated vegan pizzas, pasta, antipasti, gelato and ‘vegamisu’.

Cuisine: Pizza

BYO: No

Open: L Fri, D Wed-Sun

KEBAB PALACE MANGAL & PIDES

3/2120 Logan Rd, Mount Gravatt | 3349 4545 | kebabpalace.com.au

Pizza at Kebab Palace in Upper Mount Gravatt.

Open until late every night, this casual Turkish diner delivers authentic flavours at unbelievable prices. Slide into a comfy booth after ordering at the counter from a range of pizza, pide, grills, kebabs, gozleme, HSP and more. The pizzas – topped with everything from lamb, spinach and feta to garlic prawns or even chips, meat and mozzarella in a quirky HSP twist – are hugely popular, as are the burgers with chips and the charcoal grills. From the latter, the must-order is the Adana, starring juicy, just-pink lamb, accompanied by fresh salad, two dips of your choice, bread and rice for just $21.

Cuisine: Turkish

BYO: No

Open: B, L & D Mon-Sun

PROVA PIZZERIA

61 Wilgarning St, Stafford Heights | 3160 7164 | provapizzeria.com.au

Prova saw many tired families through lockdown with a wide-ranging Italian takeaway menu of antipasti, traditional and not-so-traditional pizzas, as well as family-sized lasagne. Like washing hung high above a Sicilian alley, the antipasti hanging stand put Prova on the Instagram map in 2016. A deceptively simple Margherita pizza ($22) demonstrates the pizzaiolo’s skill. Twelve more options, including a funghi with truffle paste and truffle oil or Maremonti ($27) with garlic prawns and pancetta, fit the bill for a budget night out. Keep room for a light and zingy Limoncello tiramisu or gnocchini, aka deep-fried Nutella-smothered dough balls, for dessert.

Cuisine: Pizza

BYO: No

Open: D Tue-Sun

TOCCO ITALIANO

80 Oxley Rd, Chelmer | 3075 5101 | toccoitaliano.com.au

Wood-fired pizza from Chelmer’s Tocco Italiano.

With fourth-generation restaurateur Arturo Buonocore and team welcoming diners like family, this suburban, child-friendly Italian restaurant is a favourite of locals and high-profile chefs alike. It opens for breakfast and brunch, serving classic cafe favourites like French toast, ham and cheese croissants or mushrooms and eggs on toast; at dinner it’s all about pizza, pasta and Italian wine. There are more than 20 pizzas to choose from, with white and red-based options, including five twists on the classic Margherita. Most are less than $24, and none are over $28. A quartet of generously portioned pastas are all for $25-$26.

Cuisine: Italian

BYO: No

Open: B & L Mon-Sun, D Wed-Sun

DOWNTOWN ISTANBUL

4/274 Hawthorne Rd, Hawthorne | 3902 0726 | downtownistanbul.com.au

Turkish pizza a Downtown Istanbul in Hawthorne. Picture: Claudia Baxter

Traditional Turkish tiles clad the open kitchen at this bright and breezy corner eatery, which brings a little bit of glamour to affordable eats in Brisbane’s east. Operated by successful restaurateurs Alemré Group, Downtown Istanbul offers a modern take on classic Turkish cuisine. While you could happily spend up big here with the (fit for a) King’s mixed grill featuring lamb, adana, chicken and garlic prawns served with rice and salad, you can just as easily stay on a tight budget with filling-yet-wallet-friendly gozleme, chargrilled lamb dishes and Turkey’s version of pizza, pides. Even the drinks list is kind, with affordable wines by the glass aplenty.

Cuisine: Turkish

BYO: No

Open: L & D Mon-Sun