Coming Soon: Garfield Blends the Best of Italian, Japanese and Aussie Pizzerias on Lygon Street

Jamie Valmorbida has always wanted to open a pizza place. With Garfield, due to open in January, he’s finally realising his dream.

The new venue is “a classic Italian-style pizzeria with a modern twist,” says Jamie. “It’s inspired by traditional Neapolitan pizzerias, but with a big influence from Tokyo’s pizza scene, as well as Australian nostalgia.” 

The pizzeria is the first of three businesses he’ll open in the King & Godfree building next year. The names and menus for the other two venues – an all-day neighbourhood osteria and a basement-level cocktail and music bar – are yet to be announced. Karen Martini (Bar Carolina), who Jamie also worked with on the 2024 Johnny’s Green Room revamp, will serve as culinary director for all three businesses. 

To gear up for Garfield, Jamie and Martini spent two days in Tokyo eating at top pizzerias including PST, Pizza Marumo and Savoy.

“I don’t know how many pizzas we ate, but it was too many,”  Jamie says. While Garfield will still draw influence from Italy, he says, “the research trip revealed the potential of classic pizza reinvented with ingredient-led toppings and quite unique flavour combinations that you don’t necessarily find in Italy. A big takeaway from that was: we can have a bit of fun with the menu.”

That means classic margherita and marinara pizzas as well as more inventive pies including a “reimagined” Hawaiian pizza, served on a white base with house-roasted leg ham, fermented pineapple and a house-made barbeque sauce. “People always cringe about pineapple on pizza – I disagree. Of course, it’s not traditional, but it works when it’s done well.”

The rest of the menu is still under wraps, but Jamie says pickles and fried snacks will make an appearance. In case you were wondering, the venue is named after an orange cat that regularly wandered through the building during renovations, not the Jim Davis character – so don’t expect any lasagne. 

The pizzeria will be largely geared towards takeaway, but there’ll be outdoor dining along Lygon Street.

Jamie and his family have long, strong ties to the Carlton landmark on the corner of Lygon and Faraday streets. His grandfather Carlo Valmorbida took over the heritage-listed site in 1955 and established it as one of Melbourne’s most iconic food institutions. Jamie’s vision for the site pays tribute to that legacy while also looking firmly ahead.  Garfield and its new siblings join rooftop bar Johnny’s Green Room (also run by Jamie and his cousin Luca Sbardella) and sister Lisa Valmorbida’s Pidapipo gelateria in the precinct. At Garfield, there’ll be a rotating Pidapipo soft serve – a first for the brand.

Jamie worked with long-time collaborator and interior architect Dion Hall (Her, Supernormal) on the restaurant’s design, which will feel contemporary and Italian. Think granite combined with stainless steel, zinc and tiles.

Garfield is expected to open at 297 Lygon Street, Carlton in January 2026.