Savour a slice or two from Brisbane’s best pizza joints
No meal is as versatile as pizza – it can cater to nearly any diet and taste and is easily made at home. Meat, cheese, sauce, vegetables, meat, seafood, cheese, meat – if you can dream it, your pizza can have it. Everyone has an opinion of where the best pizza in Brisbane can be found, so instead of simply adding our two cents to the definitive conversation, we decided to compile a list of the spots that do pizza exceptionally well. Check out the list below and then have yourself a pizza party!
Elementi, Paddington: In February 2021 Paddington welcomed a new locale to its midst – Elementi. Helmed by a crew boasting experience working at Julius, Beccofino and Maeve, Elementi was poised from the outset to be an incredible addition to the pizza scene. The venue’s pizza bar is where you’ll spy pizzaolo Stefano Spataro (one of the best pizza chefs in the world) slinging all kinds of mouth-watering pizza – rosse, bianche and sfizio (translated to ‘whim’ or ‘fancy’) – in and out of the ironbark-fuelled woodfired oven.
Julius Pizzeria, South Brisbane: Fish Lane has steadily established itself as one of Brisbane’s best dining districts thanks to some terrific eat and drink spots, and mainstay Julius Pizzeria is one of the laneway’s finest. Relax in an intimate atmosphere and sample of the best white- and red-based pizzas in town, washed down with an Aperol spritz. Need a suggestion? Red-base pizza lovers will adore the salsiccia, featuring tomato, chilli, mozzarella, provolone, pork-and-fennel sausage and rocket. As for the bianche fans, try the tartufo with mozzarella, smoked bacon, portobello mushrooms, stracchino and truffle paste.
Beccofino, Teneriffe: The minds behind Julius Pizzeria are also responsible for iconic eatery Beccofino, which has been feeding Teneriffe locals for years. If you judge a pizza place on how its margherita pizza tastes, then prepare to be amazed by Beccofino’s offering. Beyond the classics, pizza lovers will love luxe offerings like the ‘nduja pizza with mozzarella, local tiger prawns, spicy salami paste, stracciatella and rocket.
Etna, Fortitude Valley: Lauren Smith and Andrea Gatti made a splash in Brisbane’s Italian scene when they opened Rosmarino in 2021 and they’ve done it again with Etna – a high-end pizzeria located just around the corner on Marshall Street. Here, the team is offering salivation-worthy options encompassing classic crowdpleasers, contemporary choices and ultra-luxe options. The Napoli-style pizza bases are made using a six-year-old sourdough starter, wholemeal flour and a 48-hour fermentation process. What results are pizzas that are nothing short of spectacular.
Ramona Trattoria, Coorparoo: While Ramona Trattoria’s menu features a host of Italian eats, head chef Ashley-Maree Kent’s pizzas are so good on their own that they deserve a spot here. Ramona’s pizza dough is naturally leavened and fermented for a minimum of 48 hours, with a blend of three flours creating a base unique to the restaurant. An impressive custom barrel-vault woodfired oven is employed to cook pizze topped with the likes of mortadella, pistachio and stracciatella, gorgonzola piccante with parmigiano, pear, rocket pesto and 12-year-old aged balsamic, and fior di latte, pork and fennel sausage, potato, rosemary and pecorino.
Tartufo, Fortitude Valley: The iconic Italian city of Naples and the surrounding regions of Tuscany, Umbria and Abruzzo inspire this restaurant’s pizza menu. Tartufo prides itself on making true Neapolitan pizza with the best ingredients available. A must-try menu item is the signature Pizza Tartufo, which is loaded with tomato, fior di latte, prosciutto, porcini mushroom puree, cherry tomatoes, shaved parmesan, basil and extra virgin olive oil with pork sausage and truffle paste encased in the crust.
You might like
Prova Pizzeria, Stafford Heights: This Stafford Heights eatery boasts an imported Stefano Ferraro woodfire pizza oven and experienced hands in the kitchen. We’re talking a terrifically talented pizzaiolos spinning dough and creating some truly unique pizzas for you to sample. Sounds pretty good, doesn’t it? Well, wait until to taste the offering. Unique options like Prova’s pistachio pizza (topped with pistachio cream, mozzarella, Italian sausage and more pistachios) is just one example of the team’s ingenuity.
Scugnizzi, Brisbane City: While it might be the smallest of the venues listed here, Scugnizzi doesn’t skimp on taste, range or attitude. The Scugnizzi team cite’s Rome’s iconic and influential pizza-by-the-slice specialist Bonci Pizzarium as the inspirational foundation for its range, which boasts approximately seven kinds of square-cut tray pizzas, including the Salamina (mozarella, mild salami, olives and stracciatella), a truffle and pancetta pizza with provola and mushrooms, and the capricciosa (mozzarella, tomato, ham, artichokes and olives).
Antica Pizzeria, Wilston: Pizzantica’s roaming food truck has been a worthy inclusion on this list many times. Now that the team has opened its own flagship restaurant Antica, we can expect the crew to remain a fixture on this list for a while longer. The restaurant’s imported Pavesi Forni Modena pizza oven churns out some incredible Neapolitan-style pizzas, including vegan options and pizzas with a gluten-free base.
Superfly Pizza, Woolloongabba: While we may have lost one of our city’s coolest little izakayas, Superfly’s renaissance as a pizza joint has gifted us some of Brisbane’s best slices. This cute community hub keeps it classic with a tight range of hand-stretched pizzas and a few tasty sides. The dough, which is made in house, is a carefully crafted hybrid of New York and Neapolitan-style crusts, combining crisp structure and a soft chew that makes for a truly unique pie.
Spread, Camp Hill: You can never have too many neighbourhood pizza spots. Over at Spread, guests get the warm and welcoming atmosphere of a regular local and a menu of pizzas made from some exceptional smallgoods courtesy of the eatery’s daytime identity as the home of Say Cheese. Head chef Sergi Guasch has created a menu headlined by the likes of the Parma (a pomodoro-base pizza with mozzarella, prosciutto di Parma, rocket, cherry tomatoes, sharved parmigiano and stracciatella), the Salumi (mild salame, pancetta, pork-and-fennel sausage, chilli oil and mozzarella).
NUG. General Store, Fortitude Valley: A dark-horse favourite for many, this cosy laneway eatery is a real gem for handmade pizza and pasta. The menu is always changing (giving you plenty of excuses to pop in), but in the past NUG. has been dishing up pizzas topped with potato, rosemary, garlic and pecorino, salami cotto and pistachio, and smoked pork and parsley sausage with Stilton cheese.
Subscribe for updates
Jacopo’s Pizza at Range Brewing, Newstead: You might scoff at the notion that one of Brisbane’s best pizza spots is inside a brewery, but hear us out. The team at Range Brewing takes its slices seriously, so much so that its culinary arm – Jacopo’s Pizza – is well regarded by pizza purists across the city. Named in honour of Range’s original Roman-born chef, who gifted the team the original recipe for its 24-hour slow-rise sourdough pizzas, Jacopo’s serves a range of delicately thin, delightfully crispy and easy to digest ‘za’s. Good news – you don’t need to head to Range Brewing to get a slice. The Jacopo’s pizza menu can also be found at the brewery’s satellite bars, Patio and Rays.
La Lupa, West End: This pizza joint specialises in Roman-style pizza which, for the uninitiated, means that a different kind of slow-fermenting dough is employed to create a lighter and more easily digestible pizza. Seven red and six white pizzas are on offer, in addition to its signature long fermented focaccia-style lupacchiotto bites. Our pick of the list? The Pizzo Calabro, with its tomato base topped with spicy spreadable salami, hot salami and burrata, it’s simply irresistible.
Little G, Woolloongabba: After four years of feeding Dutton Park locals from its cosy home on Gladstone Road, Little G picked up sticks and moved to Woolloongabba in 2020 – and trust us when we say it’s worth the follow to its new digs. The supreme slices on offer here include classics like margherita with prosciutto, as well as more complex options such as potato with Spanish goats cheese, Old Bay prawns with sweet tomatoes and jalapeno ranch, hot salami with pickled red onion and stracciatella, and wagyu cheeseburger pizza (yes please).
Sasso Italiano, Woolloongabba: Swagger, style and a sensational menu – Sasso Italiano has got some of the essential characteristics of a great restaurant on lock. In addition to primo pastsa, awesome antipasti and a great range of mains, Sasso’s pizza menu is up there in terms of quality. The acciughe topped with white anchovies or the pancetta, potato and ‘nduja crowned calabria pizzas are our pick.
Gemelli Italian, Fortitude Valley: James Street is not short on impressive Italian, but this coast-born concept just knows how to nail a pizza. Gemelli’s bespoke pizza oven is imported from Naples and is used to gently cook an assortment of crispy and delicious pizzas imbued with freshness, flavour and familial warmth. The salina pizza (black olives, Messina black anchovies, capers and a glistening glob of burrata mozzarella) with have mouths drooling – and that’s only one of several enticing options at your fingertips!
Sì Baby, Newport: Sì Baby has cemented itself as a go-to for quality Italian in Moreton Bay. In addition to the killer pasta and antipasti, Sì Baby’s pizza menu is the goods. The Marana Forni oven pumps out Roman-style pizzas made from dough that’s been fermented for 48 hours, including pizzas topped with ‘nduja, hot salami and fior di latte, and the Burrata Montana with pancetta, anchovies and a shiny orb of creamy cheese in the centre.
OLLI Italiano, East Brisbane: The newest entrant on this list packs a punch when it comes to its pizza menu. A ten-strong list of Neapolitan-style pizzas grace OLLI’s menu – crispy, house-made stone-baked bases topped with fresh locally sourced ingredients. Stand-outs include the Mortadella, with fior di latte, pistachio and stracciatella, and the Otrolana, topped with roasted eggplant and zucchini, semi-dried tomatoes, artichokes and goats cheese.
Mr Badgers Delicatessen, Woolloongabba: If you’re after something a little bit different, snag a seat at Mr Badger’s on Logan Road and try the restaurant, bar and deli’s Detroit-style pizzas. These rectangular-shaped beauties boast a delightfully crispy and cheesy crust, and are deeper than your regular pizzas. We’re fond of the Swingin’ Sinatra, which comes with chicken, bacon, mushroom, mozzarella, barbecue sauce and parmesan.
Sugo IT, Bulimba: Want a truly memorable pizza experience? Head to this Oxford Street institution and sink your teeth into its vedura pizza with smoked sugo, grilled capsicum, black olive, smoked eggplant and basil, or its anatra pizza with confit duck, mozzarella, caramelised pear, parmesan and rocket. You won’t be disappointed.
Honourable mentions: A list like this is bound to be divisive, but Brisbane is flush with primo pizza spots beyond what is featured on this list. Other top-notch pizzera joints include Il Forno in Sandgate, Toscano Bar & Kitchen in The City, Flying Colours in West End, Tocco Italiano in Chelmer, Stone & Brew in Highgate Hill, Como Restaurant in South Brisbane, Pizzalunga da Carlo in Nundah, Osteria Epoca in Yeronga, munja pizza in Wynnum, Il Posto and La Pinsa in Paddington, Popolo in South Bank, Italia Lane in Fortitude Valley, Pizzeria 1760 in Yeronga, Woodey’s in Carina and Arrivederci Pizza in Milton.
We’ve also put together a handy list of vegan-friendly pizzerias. To find out where to satiate your plant-based slice cravings, click here.