Hugos Bar Pizza

This reigning ‘Best Pizza in Australia’ establishment, run by celebrity chef Pete Evans, continually brings them through the doors, night after night. It does so because of its clever variations on stock standard pizza and the fresh seafood it sources from the local fish markets. From sea scallops and oysters, seared king salmon dishes to flawless mains punctuated by innovative pasta creations, Hugos is still best known for its pizza and bold cocktail list.

Devoid of absurd mix-and-match pizza ideas, Hugos concentrates on thin, crusty bases, traditional toppings and the art of subtle interpretation. The Margherita updates itself by using roma tomatoes and fresh buffalo milk mozzarella, while the Mushroom offers wild mushrooms, taleggio and goats curd. There are also fig and pepperoni offerings, the Salmon (with mascarpone, caviar, watercress and chive), plus slow-roasted lamb and pork belly pizza.

Alfresco dining allows one to cast an eye over the happenings of the always-random Kings Cross streets, while sipping nonchalantly on a little Dom Pérignon or Louis Roederer Cristal, as you do. While not big on the use of an apostrophe or the order of the words in its title, Hugos Bar Pizza, more than compensates in all other areas.