Queen Margherita of Savoy

Queen Margherita of Savoy was only the fifth pizzeria in Sydney to be recognised by the the Associazione Verace Pizza Napoletana (AVPN) for making traditional, high quality Neapolitan pizza.

To get accredited, owner and head chef Lee Carroll had to prove both the authenticity and quality of his ingredients and his production method, most crucial of which is the dough prep. Neapolitan pizza relies on a precise and intricate day-long fermentation process. It involves kneading, rising, resting and proofing, but each of those elements relies on a complicated tapestry of variables.

The base is thin, flavoursome, slightly chewy and just moist enough to sag at the slice’s tip. On top Carroll uses pure crushed San Marzano tomatoes, fresh cheese from Marrickville’s Vanella and cured meats from South Sydney institution Pino’s Dolce Vita Fine Foods. Try the Margherita or the Marinara, the only two pizzas deemed worthy of the AVPN. Down it with gulps of Stelle e Strisce, a zesty Italian craft beer.

There is also gnocchi and arancini. For dessert, order the outrageous Queen’s Hot Fudge Sunday. It combines local Frangipani gelato with homemade beer-nut brittle and hot chocolate fudge sauce.