Pizzeria Violetta

Napoli-style pizza is to Italy what Champagne is to France; the Italians have DOC - Denominazione di origine controllata, considered the gold standard stamp of approval – to determine authenticity.

Without a wood-fired oven, custom built by the Stefano Ferrara company, your pizza isn’t the genuine Napoli article. Pizzeria Violetta follows this strict DOC code. Its pizzas are authentically wood-fired; the oven stays on 24/7 and is re-stoked daily to reach the 400 degrees required to cook a pizza within 90 seconds.

The ingredients must be primo too: 00 wheat, San Marzano tomatoes, mozzarella, fior di latte and meats imported from Italy. That said, owner Renata Roberts (who also runs Sichuan Bang Bang next door) can’t pass up the excellent charcuterie coming from Northern New South Wales smallgoods makers, Salumi Australia.

It’s the one concession to outside influence in a menu otherwise stocked with faithful classics such as capricciosa, quattro formaggi and spicy diavola. Even the brief but practical wine and beer lists are almost solely Italian.

Violetta has that quirky neighbourhood vibe you just can’t replicate in the city. It’s so effective that it won’t take bookings on Friday and Saturday nights.