ULTIMATE GOLD COAST FOODIE’S GUIDE CHAPTERS:

TOP 10 BEST BREAKFASTS

Gold Coast’s 10 best breakfastsTOP 10 BEST BURGERS

TOP 10 BEST FISH N CHIPS

TOP 10 BEST COFFEES

Here’s where the locals say is the best place to grab a slice of pizza.

10: Double Zero

Broadbeach

2/2715 Gold Coast Hwy, Broadbeach 5526 8635 doublezeropizza.com.au Double Zero Pizza is Queensland’s first restaurant to receive Verace Pizza Napoletana accreditation for their Neapolitan pizza. Owners Matthew Slivonik and Martina Jahodova said coming from Europe, they saw a gap in the market because pizzas here were packed with meat, cheese and pineapple.

9: Salt Meats Cheese

Surfers Paradise

10 Beach Rd, Surfers Paradise 5661 1517 saltmeatscheese.com.au

The deep Italian accent of owner Alessandro Vicinanza is evidence enough of their pizza’s brilliance. “We do a very traditional Italian pizza … but we use Australian veggies and produce where we can,” he said.

8: Gemelli

Broadbeach

2/2685 Gold Coast Hwy, Broadbeach 5504 7413 gemelliitalian.com.au

Authenticity is key at Gemelli. Italian tradition and heritage permeates all they do, starting with the Italian heritage of brothers Alec, James and Paul. Possibly the most authentic feature of all, however, is their top-of-the-range wood fire imported directly from Naples.

7: Nonna’s Italian Cuisine

Harbour Town

Harbour Town, Oxley Dr, Biggera Waters 5529 2000 nonnasrestaurants.com.au

Nonna’s Italian Cuisine at Harbour Town has been serving up top-notch pizzas for more than 11 years. Owner Sacha Kanaghines said it came down to a good recipe. “We make the dough and the Napoli sauce — it’s all handmade,” he said.

Pizza is a social thing … It’s like the original share plate

6: Siracusa Pizza and Pasta

Helensvale

112 Discovery Dr, Helensvale 5580 6052 Facebook

Owner Darrell Dring grew up in a Maltese area in Sydney and has been cooking his whole life. “Our family friends owned a pizza place (and they) taught me everything about pizza — they’ve owned their shop for about 45 years,” Darrell said.

5: Cicchetti Pizza and Pasta Bar

Isle of Capri

Shop 2G01, Capri on Via Roma, Isle of Capri 5526 8868 goldcoast.cicchetti.com.au

Cicchetti’s famous pizzas may be rustic

but there is an air of sophistication in their flavours. “Our truffle pizza is very popular,” restaurant manager Luca Pandolfo said.

4: Creative Pizza

Carrara

7/145 Pappas Way, Carrara 5596 6442 www.creativepizza.com.au

Ron Rezuk has been in the pizza business for more than 30 years. “I want to give customers the best value for money; making a meal out a pizza. It’s not just one thing that makes the perfect pizza but quite simply — it’s the dough and what you put on it,” Ron said.

3: Mandala Organic Arts

Mermaid Beach

4/2558 Gold Coast Hwy, Mermaid Beach 5679 1762 mandalaorganicarts.com.au

Mandala Organic Arts Cafe have proven it’s possible to make a delicious vegan pizza. “What about the cheese?” you might say. Co-owner Larissa Santos said cashews filled that gap. “Cashew nut cheese is very popular with vegans. We didn’t create it, but we’re probably one of the first places on the Gold Coast to use it on pizzas.”

2: Merlin’s Pizza

Palm Beach

19th Avenue Shopping Centre, Palm Beach 5576 0122 www.merlinspizza.com.au

Merlin’s Pizza co-owner Scott Jelich started as a delivery driver, advanced to pizza chef 10 years ago and three years later he bought into the company. “It felt natural; I’ve always loved the place. People come in and say they don’t eat pizza anywhere else or their kids don’t eat pizza but they eat Merlin’s,” Scott said. Even with unique flavours on the menu like the Excalibur super supreme and the Merlin Magic seafood pizza, Scott and the team are looking into the future. “We’re looking at a pork belly pizza and running some experiments for the toppings — there’s a lot of exciting stuff coming up for Merlin’s,” he said.

1: Justin Lane

Burleigh Heads

Gold Coast Hwy, Burleigh Heads 5576 8517 justinlane.com.au

If you ask Gold Coast locals who their favourite Justin is, Bieber wouldn’t get a look in.

Justin Lane is the name on everybody’s lips and their pizza is in everyone’s bellies.

Owner Adam Haralampou said he was all about that base.

“One thing we pride ourselves on that sets us apart is our 100 per cent sourdough base,” he said.

“Anyone that’s really into pizza knows that the base is the foundation of a really tasty, good-quality pizza.

“We use a natural fermentation process over 72 hours that really gives it a depth of flavour, and it’s also better for you in terms of bloating and easy digestion.

“I lived in Europe for many years and spent a lot of time in Italy so that’s where a lot of the traditional Napolitano influence comes from but we have spent a lot of time researching to keep everything as authentic as possible.”

High-end pizzas need high-quality ingredients and Adam has his supply system down pat.

“We use high-end products like proper buffalo mozzarella, San Danielle prosciutto and imported Italian products but we also source locally where possible,” Adam said.

“Some of our cheeses are from northern NSW and James St Deli butcher play a big part in our pizzas. They do a lot of local sourcing and we like to support them.”

The success of Justin Lane’s “Eat, drink, be messy” philosophy is no mistake, with Adam intentionally choosing pizzas as his champion dish.

“Pizza is a social thing, you can eat it weekly or even daily and you never get sick of it.”

“It’s almost like the original share plate,” he said.

“In terms of food menu, we always do a feature of the week so people can follow our social media people (and) see what we’ll be showcasing that week.

“If people love them they stick around permanently.”

As for the ultimate Justin Lane combination for the first-time diner, Adam said the choice was clear.

“Seafood pizza and an Aperol spritz — an Aperol spritz goes with anything,” he said.