Where to find Brisbane’s best pepperoni pizza

From suburban favourites to high street hot spots, here are the finest pepperoni pizzas in the city whether you’re looking to dine in or take away.

To Americans, it’s the pepperoni pizza, to Italians, it’s a diavola, but no matter what you call it, the simple combination of spicy salami and cheese on a dough base is an eternal winner.

So where are Brisbane’s best?

Whether you want to dine in or takeaway, we’ve found the city’s finest.

The diavola and margherita pizzas at Ramona Trattoria.

Ramona Trattoria

Coorparoo

At this cosy neighbourhood eatery, owner and chef Ashley-Maree Kent blends three different flours to create her unique pizza dough before letting it ferment for an incredible three days. To create her diavola, the dough is stretched by hand before being topped with fior di latte, basil, tomato paste and circles of spicy salami which curl up around the edges in the custom barrel-vault wood-fired oven. The charry light-as-a-feather base is then given a swirl of chilli oil to finish, while customers who really like things hot can also add the spreadable salami paste nduja for extra spice.

Gemelli

Fortitude Valley

At this James St favourite, the classic diavola certainly doesn’t skimp on the pepperoni. The entire base is covered in rings of hot salami, before being topped with strips of fior di latte, basil leaves and slices of chilli for a little more tongue tingling. It’s then placed in their wood-fired oven imported from Italy where it’s crust becomes puffed and scorched. Finished off with a scattering of oregano and a splash of olive oil, this version will definitely spice up your life.

Gemelli, Fortitude Valley diavola pizza.

Tartufo

Fortitude Valley

Chef owner Tony Percuoco’s pizzas have built themselves a cult following across Brisbane, with the pizzeria an official internationally registered member (#595) of the coveted Associazione Verace Pizza Napoletana or AVPN. This means that all the pizzas must be prepared following a strict set of rules, from the ingredients used to the leavening process, condiments and cooking. Tartufo’s diavola adheres to these measures, creating a stunning pie of hot salami, fresh basil, tomato, mozzarella and great quality extra virgin olive oil.

Prova Pizzeria

Stafford Heights

This suburban favourite pumps out hundreds of bubbly crusted, authentically Italian pizzas from its wood-fired oven each week and not to be missed in their “pepperoni”. Topped with spicy salami, olives, mozzarella and tomato, it has a gentle heat that will make its presence noticed, within stealing the whole show.

Antica Pizzeria

Wilston

At this local gem, the pizzas are made with a thin base and thick crust and undergo a fast cook at a high temperature to create a soft and crispy Napoli-style texture. The diavola is as authentic as they come with tomato, spicy salami and mozzarella and is almost guaranteed to heat things up.

Italia Lane’s pepperoni pizza. Picture: David Kelly

Italia Lane

Fortitude Valley

At Italia Lane, the “reggio calabria” is unlike anything else around town. The crust sits like a charry, puffy, inflatable pool ring around the perimeter of a paper-thin centre, supple from rich sugo and covered in wafer thin slices of spicy salami, fior di latte and chilli.

Tocco

Chelmer

It’s the puffy, bubbly base and gentle heat of the diavola pizza that keeps drawing customers back to this suburban sensation. One of their most popular pizzas, the pepperoni number shines with quality ingredients, including hot Italian salami and fior di latte.