The best pizza in Australia

Our pick: Di Parma

With numerous awards under its belt, including the crown of ‘best pizza in Australia’ in 2023, this spot takes pizza seriously – and it shows. It’s named for the amount of time the natural dough takes to rise, which results in a tender, flavourful crust paired with just the right ratio of toppings. There’s no bad option, and as you might expect, they take every element of pizza preparation very seriously here. If you can only choose one, make it Di Parma, which was named the number one pizza in the Australian Pizza World Championships 2019 (tomato sauce, mozzarella, prosciutto di Parma, Italian buffalo mozzarella, rocket and grana padano).

Address: 373 Malvern Rd, South Yarra, Melbourne, VIC

Price: Pizza from $21

Our pick: Burrata Special

‘Amore Mio’ means ‘My Love’ in Italian and provides a pizza heaven in Maylands, Perth. Their style of pizza dough is hand-stretched and risen over 48 hours, per Italian tradition, and cooked on stone to the point where there is just enough crunch. You’ll be absolutely spoilt for choice with more than 65 pizzas on offer, including the OG regulars (shout out to the Hawaiiana), seafood selections, gourmet Aussie chef specials and deluxe pizzas with more toppings than you can fit in your mouth. Just save room for the Burrata Special, topped with creamy fior di burrata, melted and surrounded by premium prosciutto, fresh basil and tomato sauce.

Address: 277 Guildford Rd, Maylands, Perth, WA

Price: Pizza from $27

Our pick: Scopello

Our pick: #04 with chargrilled pineapple and gabagool

A retro bar that serves pizza? Sounds like a place we want to spend the night, stuffing our faces with pizza, washing it down with beer and staying late for a boogie. Sunny’s no-fuss menu is split between ‘Pizza’ and ‘Not Pizza’, with seven crispy discs to dive into. The chargrilled pineapple, gabagool (pork), mozzarella and green chilli verde pizza could stir some heated debates, but if you can convince your mates that pineapple belongs on pizza, then it’s well worth the fight.

Address: 17 Solomon St, Adelaide, SA

Price: Pizza from $24

Our pick: Big Tony

Almost a decade has passed since Hobart’s cult-followed pizzeria first opened in Berridale, which means the team is clearly doing something right. It’s impossible to go wrong when ordering a pizza here, with gluten-free folks and vegepals well looked after too. Risk it all with the Big Tony, featuring a tomato base, mushrooms, pepperoni, red onion, jalapenos, LP cheese blend and cracked black pepper. PS: Their weekly specials also slap, and we won’t judge you if you opt for one of those instead.

Address: 52 Maroni Road, Berriedale, Hobart, TAS

Price: Pizza from $22

Our pick: Portofino

As a past winner of the World Pizza Championships with locations scattered around Melbourne, you’d expect 400 Gradi to know what they’re doing. And they do. With the pizza oven cranked up to 400 degrees, the bases are chewy and puffed up around the edges. It’s a beautiful canvas for the Portofino, where prawns, cherry tomatoes, chilli, oregano and garlic oil unite harmoniously on a tomato base.

Address: Multiple locations, including Brunswick, Essendon and Mornington

Price: Pizza from $26

Our pick: Pizza Patate e Pancetta

Pizza fit for a Roman ruler is what you’ll find at Julius, the hip younger sibling of Brisbane’s Beccofino restaurant and pizzeria. Its beating heart is a custom-made Stefano Ferrara woodfired oven from Naples, which pumps out a creative yet classic range of both rosse (Napoli sauce base) and bianche (white base) pies. We suggest ordering one of each, leaving lots of stomach space for the Patate e Pancetta with potatoes, pancetta, mozzarella, scamorza and rosemary.

Address: 77 Grey St, South Brisbane, QLD

Price: Pizza from $26

Our pick: Milliano

Even your nonna would approve of Monsterella. Warm and welcoming, this little family-owned pizzeria has something for the whole clan. Their handmade woodfire pizzas are Naples in style, with dough naturally risen for 48 hours, stretched out thin and cooked until the crust bubbles with beautiful burnt bumps. The Milliano is a must-try with fior di latte, Italian pork and fennel sausage, caramelised onions, pecorino and truffle oil, but if we had to pick a second favourite, it’d be the Diablo with smoked mozzarella, hot salami, nduja and chilli.

Address: 46 Grantham St, Wembley, Perth, WA 

Price: Pizza from $19

Our pick: Salami

Southern Italian traditions, South Australian conditions – that’s the motto at this much-loved institution tucked away in a rustic-chic McLaren country house that's reminiscent of a welcoming Italian family home. The pizzas here are made most traditionally, with recipes passed down from generations and given an ‘Oztalian’ twist. The soft, thin crusts are stretched out by hand – no rolling pins in sight – and cooked in a woodfire oven imported from Napoli, until the crust is puffy, charred and spotted. It’s hard to pick a favourite, but you won’t be disappointed with the Salami pizza, featuring homemade sugo, hand-pitted olives, portobello mushrooms and fior di latte.

Address: 319 Chalk Hill Rd, McLaren Vale, SA

Price: Pizza from $20

Our pick: Mortadella pizza

This glam little Italian pizzeria and wine bar is a rising star in Brisbane’s pizza scene. Every pizza is a labour of love, hand-made from a six-year-old wholemeal sourdough starter and fermented over 48 hours. There’s only one place to start your meal, and that’s with the Mortadella pizza bread, featuring a heavenly combo of stracciatella and pistachio crumble. Follow it up with classics like Margherita and Diavola, or specials like the veg-friendly broccoli base Verde or the truffle cream base Tartufata with prosciutto and slow-cooked onion.

Address: 5/15 Marshall St, Fortitude Valley, Brisbane, QLD

Price: Pizza from $26

Our pick: Nduja, ricotta and thyme

This tiny Inner West pizza parlour is making a whole lot of noise in Sydney’s crowded carb scene. Getting your hands on a Westwood pizza might require more forethought and planning than your average takeaway dinner, but the rewards more than outweigh the costs. There are only seven woodfired pizzas to pick from, including a spicy nduja or rich spanner crab, along with two side salads and some chilli XO to dip your crusts in. You’ve got to be in it to win it, so set your alarm for 3pm when pre-orders open.

Address: 245 Australia St, Newtown, Sydney, NSW

Price: Pizza from $19

Our pick: Pizzica

This not-so-secret spot makes appearances on almost every round-up of the best pizza in Australia. The rustic brick restaurant has lots of character and will transport you straight from Margaret River to the charming region of Salento in Southeast Italy. On any given night, Pizzica is fully packed with people travelling across the state for a slice of their infamous woodfired pizzas. The namesake Pizzica is a go-to, loaded with mozzarella, friarielli (broccoli rabe), Italian sausage, fresh chilli and pecorino cheese, which is sprinkled on after cooking. Just make sure to eat it while it’s hot.

Address: 73 Bussell Hwy, Margaret River, WA 

Price: Pizza from $19

Our pick: The 'Roni Square

This big and bright pizzeria pulls influence from New York and Italy but is undeniably Melbourne. The sourdough pizza base, made with flour from South Australia, is fermented for 48 hours, rested for six and baked in an electric oven, giving it a light, blistered, crunchy, pliable and complex crust. In addition to your standard pies, you’ll also find Roman-style pizza al taglio, which is baked in large rectangular trays and is arguably the eatery’s biggest draw. Trust us and go for the ‘Roni Square with tomato, pepperoni, pickled onion and a vodka sauce dipper for your crusts.

Our pick: Calamata

You’ll find an unassuming slice of Napoli at this casual pizzeria, located just a street back from the waterfront in Darwin’s city centre. The team serves pizza the way it is served in the streets of Napoli, following traditional 17th-century methods. Every disc is hot-to-trot with a leopard-spotted puffy crust, soft and saucy centre, and toppings appointed in all the right places. The Calamata nails the brief with San Marzano tomatoes, marinated calamari, black olives, capers, parsley oil, garlic and basil. It’s best enjoyed the traditional way with a knife and fork in Alfonsino’s relaxed outdoor patio.

Address: 20/69 Mitchell St, Darwin City, NT

Price: Pizza from $15

Our pick: King Kofta

Come get a slice of Italy at this bright pink pizzeria, also by the team behind Local Pizza. All pies are cooked in a disco-ball oven, which makes sense considering that there are disco balls of all shapes and sizes dotted around the dining room. The pizza menu is as playful as the decor, with names like Bubby G, BBQ Bird, Wild Child and Spuf Lyf. However, the King Kofta is the most popular, with a capsicum base, lamb kofta, mozzarella, roast capsicum, herb yogurt, red onion, za’atar and chopped herbs.

Address: 13 Castray Esplanade, Battery Point, Hobart, TAS

Price: Pizza from $25

Our pick: Margherita

It was love at first slice for locals at this neighbourhood pizzeria with locations in Scarborough, Subiaco and Currambine. Hot, fresh and fired up in an oven straight from Italy, these pizzas are true Neapolitan doughy goodness. The pizzaiolos ferment their dough for three days and bring the party to town with lots of toppings – burrata cheese, prosciutto crudo, pineapple, you name it. The Margherita is a local favourite, and we suggest dressing it up with bufala cheese and ordering a garlic aioli dip to dunk your golden crusts.

Address: Locations in Scarborough, Subiaco and Currambine

Price: Pizza from $18

Our pick: The Hem-azing Pizza

Hailing from Tuscany, owner Silvio Miceli has been firing up puffy Neapolitan-style pizzas in Macquarie since 2014 and Verity Lane since 2020. Miceli promises “pizza so good your nonna would be proud,” offering everything from classic napoletana and capricciosa to spicy diavola and rich quattro formaggi. Fun fact: One of Artigiana’s pizza chefs, Hemm, was honoured in the Top 100 Pizza Chefs in the 2023 Best Chef Awards. Order his namesafe pizza, 'The Hem-azing', featuring hot salami, four cheeses and hot honey on a white base. 

Address: Cnr Bowman & Wiseman St, Macquarie, Canberra, ACT

Price: Pizza from $24

Our pick: Pizza Tartufo

Tartufo is the gold standard of traditional Naples-style pizza in Brisneyland and one of only two pizzerias in Queensland to boast membership to the ‘True Neapolitan Pizza Association’. Needless to say, they take pizza very seriously, and you will be seriously impressed before even tasting a slice; just watching the chefs in the open kitchen expertly tossing dough is enough to get you salivating. Trust the name and go for the Tartufo with prosciutto, porcini mushroom purée, cherry tomatoes, shaved parmesan and mozzarella – plus the stand-out pork sausage and truffle paste stuffed crust.

Address: 1,000 Ann St, Fortitude Valley, Brisbane, QLD

Price: Pizza from $25

Our pick: Antica Signature

You might recognise owners Luca and Mike as the dynamic duos behind Pizzantica – Australia’s first mobile pizza oven, which the pair operated out of a vintage Volkswagen Kombi. After building up a loyal following, they decided to set up a permanent trattoria on the outskirts of Wilston village. Antica, meaning ‘ancient’ in Italian, is a nod to their traditional Neapolitan-style pizzas. Start by sharing the pizza fritta (fried pizza bread) or focaccia with locally made salumi, before diving into mains. Quattro formaggi, napoletana, calabrese, capricciosa, diavola – you name it, they serve it. We suggest coming hungry and ordering the whopping one-metre ‘Antica Signature’, featuring half tomato, burrata, balsamic pearls and basil, and half seasonal fruits, goat's cheese, manuka honey and mozzarella. Bellissimo! 

Our pick: Funghitown 

This funky pizzeria sitting a few streets back from Sydney’s famous Manly Beach gets top marks across the board for its kitschy vintage styling – from the red-and-white check tablecloths and sheer, lacy curtains, to a solid wall of framed black-and-white photos. Wines by the glass are kept at budget-friendly prices; bottles are easy to access for under a 50; and there’s a self-service fridge for crafty brews. The Funghitown is the talk of the town and for good reason. It starts with a tomato and mushroom base, is topped with generous proportions of field mushrooms and fried kale, and the dried ricotta and fior di latte balance it out.

Address: 46 Pittwater Rd, Manly, Sydney, NSW

Price: Pizza from $22

Our pick: Prosciutto and roquette

When the sun goes down and the oven heats up, Mama Dough is where you want to be. The cosy space sits only six people inside but does a roaring takeaway trade and serves their pizzas directly to diners at the local pub, Edgar’s Inn, just next door. Mama Dough gets its name from the ‘mama dough’ used to create their original pizza base, which gets fired up in an imported Forno Bravo pizza oven. Picking a favourite pizza here is like picking a favourite child, so we’ll have to settle on the prosciutto and roquette for carnivores, or the mixed mushroom, ricotta and confit garlic version for herbivores.

Address: 2 Wakefield Gardens, Ainslie, Canberra, ACT

Price: Pizza from $25

Our pick: Hot Honey

This female and family-run pizza joint in Leederville undeniably serves some of the best slices in town. Vikka specialises in Napoletana-style 13-inch pizzas that are perfectly blistered in the oven and topped with a smorgasbord of locally sourced ingredients. Vegetarians have plenty of options at Vikka – with veg-forward pizzas making half the menu, though there’s also the option to add meats like speck and honey-cured ham if you so desire. Let’s not forget the crust – Vikka offers your choice of sugo or stracciatella dip, which will have you mopping up every last bit. 

Address: 147 Oxford St, Leederville, Perth, WA

Price: Pizza from $18

Our pick: Number One

A leafy outdoor terrace, relaxed and mellow ambience, and founder Paolo Biscaro’s now famous traditional-style woodfired pizzas: it’s a recipe for a great night and a belt loosening or two. Beccofino is the older and more established sibling restaurant of Julius (see below), the younger, hip pizzeria in South Brisbane. But don’t be fooled into thinking Beccofino is over the hill or too old school to be relevant; it's one of Brisbane's Italian restaurant stalwarts for very good reason. A combination of fresh ingredients, inventive specials, friendly and efficient service, authentic Italian energy and consistent quality is what sets Beccofino apart. Bookings can be hard to come by due to its popularity, but the walk-in experience is worth the wait — even if you have to pitch a tent and camp out for that pancetta or mortadella pizza.

Address: Cnr 10 Vernon Terrace, Florence St, Teneriffe, Brisbane, QLD

Price: Pizza from $27

Order the: Patate

California, here we come. Inspired by the American desert town, Palm Springs, Chicco Palms brings a mid-century resort edge to its suburban pizza restaurant in Brooklyn Park. Wood-clad ceilings and checkerboard flooring are a warm welcome for the visual senses, while the Roman-style pizzas and Italo-American snacks are an awakening for the taste buds. Woodfired numbers are churned out both day and night, with a selection of both pizza rosse (red pizza) and pizza bianche (white pizza) up for grabs. The Chicco Palms experience is just as much about the drinks as it is the fare, with a focus on local and Italian wines, zesty cocktail jugs and tinnies. 

Address: 437 Henley Beach Rd, Brooklyn Park, Adelaide, SA

Price: Pizza from $18

Our pick: Pork and fennel sausage

The equally irreverent sibling to Leonard’s House of Love in South Yarra, Leonardo’s is more spaghetti western than Neapolitan puritan. The pizzas follow suit, the New York-style pies going fatter on the base with plenty of spongy chew and char. Forget the keto diet until tomorrow – this is a supremely bready kind of place. The kind where a side of ranch sauce arrives with pizza (you know… for crust dipping) and appetisers like crostini dominate the starters list.

Address: 29 Grattan St, Carlton, VIC

Price: Pizza from $27.50