Northern Beaches Favourite Pocket Pizza Has Opened a Second Retro-Chic Diner – This Time in Brookvale

Behind lace curtains – a look taken straight from your nonna’s house – and faded, vintage-looking red signage on Pittwater Road in Brookvale sits Pocket Pizza, the sister venue to the diner of the same name in Manly. Inside, you’ll find timber-panelled walls and stained-glass Tiffany lights dangling above a tiled bar pumping out limoncello spritzes, Fernet-Branca and fruity pét-nat. Gingham-patterned plastic tablecloths cover tables fringed by dark bentwood dining chairs – the cherry on top for an homage to the old-school red-sauce Italian diners of New York City’s Little Italy.

Owner and Manly local Dylan Eisenhut notes that the first lockdown’s takeaway boom was a catalyst for opening a second location. “We saw then that there was a chance to reinvent what your local takeaway pizza place was and have a second restaurant that serves more of the beaches community, while also creating a great atmosphere for those waiting for their takeaway,” he tells Broadsheet.

In the front room, next to a drinks fridge stocked with Heaps Normal zero-proof beer, Strangelove soft drinks and bottles of Coke, are vintage arcade games such as Super Mario World and NBA Jam. “When people order their takeaway they can play arcade games and have a drink at the bar while they wait for their food,” Eisenhut says.

Out back is the dining room – and while the interiors are old-world the pizza toppings are contemporary and slightly experimental. The Gordon Hamsey is topped with fior di latte, red onion, jalapenos, leg ham and pineapple on a tomato base – sure to spark some controversy among diehard traditional pizza lovers. Meanwhile, the Return of the Mac features beef mince, “special sauce”, pickles and sesame seeds for a pizza-burger hybrid.

The menu also offers more simple classics, including a margherita pizza with a vodka sauce base, as well a spin on the crowd-favourite garlic bread, here made with a milk bun and dusted with parmesan. If you’re particularly hungry, get the vodka rigatoni and add burrata on top. Be warned: you may need to order a digestif after. Fortunately, there’s a strong selection of Italian aperitifs and digestifs on offer. Sweet tooths should consider the banoffee banana split, a concoction of vanilla ice-cream, whipped cream, biscuit, banana and caramel.

Industrial Brookvale has recently become a hub of eateries, breweries and coffee roasters. Recent arrivals include Coffee Supreme and Bucketty’s Brewing, which join the likes of Manly Spirits, Berkelo bakery and Nomad Brewing.

“Brookvale for us is about really bringing the community together around … delicious food and the occasional arcade game,” Eisenhut says.

Pocket Pizza Brookvale
515 Pittwater Road, Brookvale
0480 300 419

Hours:
Mon & Tue 5pm–9pm
Wed to Sun 5pm–10pm

pocketpizza.com.au
@pocketpizzasydney