Best pizza Victoria: Carosello, Carboni’s Italian Kitchen, La Lupa
Piping hot from the wood fire oven or fridge cold the next day, nothing beats a slice of pizza. Read all about our top picks and explore the list on an interactive map.
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Thick or thin? Is pineapple essential or a sin?
No matter how it’s ordered, pizza is a weekly staple for Victorians. From the Chicago style deep dish at Deep End Pizza in Fitzroy to 80s style favourites from La Lupa Pizza and Pasta on the Mornington Peninsula check out our guide to the best parmas in the state.
Deep End Pizza
412a Brunswick Street, Fitzroy
Serving up amazing Chicago deep dish pizzas, Detroit pan pizzas, and New York Style thin crusts, this venue is a must visit for pizza fans.
La Lupa
1558 Frankston-Flinders Road, Tyabb
1980s style pizzas loaded with toppings are on offer from this popular Tyabb business, twice voted the best pizza place on the Mornington Peninsula by Leader readers.
Red Sparrow Pizza
Prahran, Collingwood
Named Melbourne’s best pizza in Leader’s 2020 poll, all the pizzas at Red Sparrow are 100 per cent vegan — even the ones with “meat” toppings.
Piazza 96
96 Mcfadzean Ave, Reservoir
Nestled on an unsuspecting corner in Reservoir is a restaurant with some of the best pizzas you’ll find in Melbourne, at Piazza 96. The shop serves up traditional-style wood-fired pizzas, with the perfect single crust made from 48-hour dough. There’s 18 different topping choices to choose from, with the number one pick being the Mortadella pizza, topped with Fior di latte, fresh mortadella, crushed pistachio and ricotta with a honey drizzle. Despite their traditional style, they still include local favourites, including an Ananas pizza (or in other words, pineapple). The restaurant also offers a smaller range of pasta dishes as well as delicious desserts.
Eve’s Pizzeria
Shop 5, 2-10 William Thwaites Boulevard Cranbourne North
Located in a neighbourhood shopping strip, Eva’s Pizzeria is a Cranbourne North favourite.
With a wide menu, ranging through breakfast, lunch and dinner options, the little pizza parlour packs a strong punch.
Offering a full range of pizza flavours and delicious desserts, with everything from loaded fries to salted caramel mousse.
The owners have spent more than a decade perfecting their recipes, which has earned them a top spot for pizzas in the southeast.
Warburton Village Pizza Cafe
3393 Warburton Highway, Warburton
When it comes to great pizzas, people living in the Yarra Ranges are spoiled for choice. A firm favourite is Warburton Village Pizza Cafe, which owner Helen started in 2004. Helen said the business expanded its customer base when her daughter Fiona came on board in 2020, and added vegetarian, vegan and gluten free options to the menu.
“She took it to another level,” Helen said.
She said a lot of effort went into making their gluten-free bases to make sure the flavour was good.
They also chargrill all their vegies in the pizza oven.
The popular pizza shop also serves up popular favourites like meat lovers, margherita and Hawaiian.
Other top pizza picks in the Yarra Ranges include Mary Hands Winery, Soumah Wines, Mandala Wines, Terra Rossa Pizzeria in Mooroolbark, Benny’s Wood Fire Pizza Pasta Bar in Wandin North, Rowanos Restaurant Chirnside Park, Slice of Italy Pizzeria in Lilydale, Matilda Bay Healesville and Hidden Pizzeria Kilsyth.
Say Cheese Pizza, Bendigo
5/113-133 Mollison St, Bendigo
One of the best things about small independent pizza shops are the original creations on the menu that you can’t find anywhere else. At Say Cheese Pizza, Bendigo, it is the extremely popular Tribute pizza, made in honour of the Raffoul family from Melbourne. It has hot salami, bacon, olives, garlic and more. Store owner Carol Woodward said it was made in gratitude for the encouragement the Raffoul family gave when Say Cheese Pizza first opened. The most popular pizza on the menu is The Lot, which has eight toppings and cheese. The shop has attracted rave reviews online and credits its success to always using fresh ingredients. A second Say Cheese Pizza shop is located at Strathfieldsaye at 933-941 Wellington Street.
Carosello
22 Margaret St, Moonee Ponds
Nestled away near the Moonee Ponds train station is a little taste of Italy which has proven a major hit with the locals.
Owners Mark Natoli, Gaurav Arora, Deepak Kamboj and Jordan Cachia want to bring an “exciting” menu to Melbourne’s inner-north that come from recipes which are “straight from Mum‘s kitchen”.
While the Italian restaurant dishes up cocktails and steak, pork and classic pastas, the pizzas fly out the door.
With gluten-free options as well, the pizzas are made with quality ingredients including fior di latte and San Daniele 600 day aged prosciutto.
Anglette
114 Bayswater Rd, Croydon South
Ever since they opened in late 2020, this Croydon South eatery has become a cult favourite attracting foodies from all over Melbourne wanting top-notch Italian cuisine.
Owner Eddie Worrell, who did part of his apprenticeship at Guy Grossi’s famed Florentino restaurant in the CBD, bases his food on a cooking style developed by eateries in the American pizza capital of New Haven, Connecticut.
He and his team pride themselves on serving authentic Italian pizza and pasta, with seasonal flavours and a range of traditional and gourmet dishes.
“We’re really focused on being an Italian restaurant rather than doing a wider menu, and try and stay laser-focused on the products,” Mr Worrell said.
“It’s attracted people really interested in Italian food, those who are grabbing cookbooks and reading through them and they ask probing questions about the food.”
Among Angelette’s most popular pizza flavours are the tomato pie with basil, and the Italian pork sausage which is packed with caramelised onion inspired by a recipe from Heston Blumenthal.
Mr Worrell likes to create dishes that are full of flavour, but not heavy.
“We have a mantra inside the shop that we want people to be full, but not in a food coma,” he said.
“If people order a pizza and have a couple of slices of it, I don’t want them to be wiped out for the rest of the meal.”
Along with the takeaway counter, Mr Worrell and the team have recently added a cosy dine-in alfresco area at the back of the shop.
Bojangles
61 Liebig St, Warrnambool
Bojangles got its name when co-founder Jack Fulk heard the song “Mr. Bojangles” on the radio many decades ago.
Part owner Simon Mugavin, a pizza maker of 37 years, said it’s all about the experience and knowing what the weather’s doing, not just the “set ingredients”.
“If you have a set recipe, it has to be altered day to day,” Mr Mugavin said.
Bojangles most popular topping range from zucchini, goat’s cheese, pumpkin, prosciutto and quality olives.
One of their iconic pizzas, the “grant special” is topped with garlic butter, tomato base, cheese, hot salumi, bacon, white onion, spring onion and whole prawns.
“That’s by far our biggest seller,” Mr Mugavin said.
Bojangles says yes to pineapple on pizza.
“If you are having it with the ham it helps cut through the fat — it counteracts the fat content of the pizza — I’m a yes person,” Mr Mugavin said.
“I think if you ever ask most kids in Warrnambool they’ll definitely have pineapple on their pizza.”
Mr Mugavin said thin crust is more preferred than thick crust, as thinner bases allow you to “eat more”.
“It’s less filling and also if you can fold your pizza as well — that’s exactly how they originally produced pizzas in Naples — a fordable pizza base,” he said.
“You never stop changing and you never stop updating when making pizza.”
Big Lizzie Pizza
9-11 Indi Ave, Red Cliffs
The local community overwhelmingly picked out the local small chain Big Lizzie pizza as the best pizza in town.
Owner of the restaurant Nicholas Ataliotis says that making the perfect pizza all comes down to the time spent crafting the perfect creation.
“Making a good pizza is down to the ingredients, and the time you spend doing it,” he said
“good old fashioned techniques, and time, time is the most essential ingredient, and you’ve got to love your craft.”
Mr Ataliotis said that Big Lizzie always endeavours to support local growers and producers by sourcing as many ingredients locally as possible
“Whatever we can get locally we do, obviously we want to support other small businesses and growers in the region,” he said.
Mr Ataliotis said that the residents of the Mallee are big meat eaters Making Meats their most popular topping
“Grenally chicken, or seafood, our meats are very popular, “ he said.
“Generally anything to do with meat, people like meat around here a lot”
While Mr Ataliotis isn’t keen on pineapple on his pizza if that’s what his customers want he’s not judging.
“Personally I’m not a big fan of pineapple on the pizza, but it depends kids love pineapple on their pizza,” he said.
“So it depends on who it’s for”
Pino’s Trattoria
29-31 Thompson Ave, Cowes
Pino’s Trattoria in Cowes is part of Phillip Island’s furniture.
The Business was established by Pino Scarlato in 1991 along the main street of Cowes.
Sadly in 1999 Pino passed away, sending shockwaves through his family and the Phillip Island community.
But the Scarlato family, along with the help of friends and the community, were able to keep Pino’s memory alive and keep the restaurant running.
They say the restaurant provides “a true Italian experience” and their pizza is some of the best.
With each base being hand made, every pizza is made with love and they come out of the oven, light and crispy.
Pino’s have all the classic pizzas as well as some unique toppings to try.
Pino’s wife Rosa and her three children still actively run the restaurant and they said their pizza is “a celebration and homage to all things Italian”.
They want all their dinners to “feel a part of the family”.
Carboni’s Italian Kitchen
152 Eureka St, Ballarat East
Nestled into Ballarat East, Carboni’s has a strong reputation for some of the best pizza in town.
Pizza chef Steve Riseley said the restaurant’s philosophy was simple: good quality ingredients and “a lot of time and love”.
“We use good quality imported Italian pizza flour,” he said.
“Getting the right ratio of water to flour, the correct hydration. That’s very dependent on the style of pizza you’re making – our style, we use a hydration of about 60 to 62 per cent water.
“You have to care about the products. There’s a lot of variables that go into making it, but trying to be as consistent with your recipe as possible gives you a great product.”
He said margherita pizzas remained popular, though his personal favourite was the Hot Vesuvio.
As for pineapple on pizzas, “to each their own”, he said.
“I know the owner is not a fan of it, but that could be his upbringing and heritage.
“Me, I’m Australian, I grew up having ham and pineapple, barbecue chicken pizza, so I’m fine with it.”
OTHER TOP PICKS
Leonardo’s Pizza Palace
29 Grattan St, Carlton
Hello Bello Pizza
179 Bluff Rd, Black Rock
Cubbyhouse Pizzeria
Shop 1/570 Main St, Mordialloc
39 pizzeria
362 Little Bourke St, Melbourne
Capitano Carlton
421 Rathdowne St, Carlton
11 Inch Pizza
7A/353 Little Collins St, Melbourne
Did we miss your favourite? Tell us in the comments below.
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