Good pizza is hard to find in Sydney

Over the last couple months I, along with my fiance and trusty food-blogger friend Adam , have been on a Pizza Odyssey. We have been steadily working our way through Sydney’s “best” pizza places. There have been disappointments and sweet revelations. And now that we have reached the bottom of that list, the end of our journey, I have come to the conclusion that good pizza in Sydney is very hard to find. Literally. The three best pizza restuarants in Sydney are well off the beaten track and require to know exactly where you are going. No central locations here. And sometimes, even when you do know where you are going, you might still get lost. But that’s all part of the fun – it adds to the sense of adventure. And besides, it’s a great way to work up a solid appetite.

So here are the results…

 The Good:

Pizzas in this category are excellent but exhibit slight fault in terms of freshness, balance or authenticity.

• Caffe Moretti, Norton Street, Leichhardt – great service, great pizza, great pasta, BYO.
• Pizza e’ Birra, Crown Street, Surry Hills – their trademark beer is great, excellent deep-fried zucchini flowers, best to eat outside of peak hour if you want attentive service, attractive décor.
• La Disfida, Ramsey Street, Haberfield – lovely authentic pizza, simple flavours done well, pasta is nothing terribly special, service can be quite terrible given the multi-levelled lay-out.

 The Great:

 Pizzas in this category are beyond reproach in terms of freshness, balance and authenticity.

• Ventuno, Hickson Road, The Rocks –  pizzas are mind-blowing, the Biancaneve (fresh salmon and mascarpone) is the only seafood pizza I have found worth eating, you must leave room for the Nutella pizza, wine and beer list are appreciable, service is attentive and the view is the best in this category.
• Pizza Mario @ St. Margaret’s, St. Margaret’s Shop 9, Bourke Street, Surrey Hills – pizza are both authentic and generous, the only pizzeria in Australia to be accredited by the Associazione Verace Pizza Napoletana (AVPN).
• RossoPomodoro, Buchanan Street, Balmain (White Bay) – are real hard one to find but well worth the effort, awarded “Favourite Pizza 2008″ by the Good Food Guide, run by Italians (not Italian-Australians), BYO and you’ve got to respect a place that has “rules”.

 The Ugly:

Pizzas is this category are over-rated, hold false accolades or are just a downright disgrace.

• Hugo’s Bar Pizza, Bayswater Road, Kings Cross – I don’t know what nutter food-critic bestowed the “Best Pizza in Sydney” award upon this far from deserving restaurant but I hope they at least got some serious cash out of it bargain because they sold their soul in the bargain. Hugo’s is so proud of this accolade, which they have “won” for the last three years running, that they have it emblazoned across the front of the restaurant. Pizza’s here are far too thin (think thin ‘n’ crispy from Pizza Hut) to the point of cutting your gums and the toppings are far from fresh. Authenticity is obviously not a concern given the sealed in layer of cheese they cover their mushroom pizzas. There is little to redeem this place, other than an impressive wine list.
• Napoli in Bocca, Dalhousie Street, Haberfield – favourable reviews in 2006 and early 2007 in combination with strong word-of-mouth have ensured that this place is packed even on a week night. But since the beginning of 2007 there has been a steady decline in the quality of both their pizza and their pasta. To the point that last time I ate there in mid-2008, the food was virtually inedible – soggy pizza with sparingly applied toppings and over-cooked pasta doused in sugary sauce akin to what you could expect to come out of a Leggo’s or Dolmio jar. The service is also deplorable.
• Eastbank, Opera Quays, Sydney – the food here is truly repulsive. The high cost is immaterial as the food and apathetic service  on offer here would be aggrieving even in a food court.