“I want amore!”: 7 Best Pizza Places in Sydney’s Eastern Suburbs

By Madeleine Gray on May 13, 2016 in Food

Da Orazio Pizza + Porchetta, Bondi

Da Orazio is cool. There’s no way to get around it. Cool exudes all the way from the people who work here, to the industrial-chic columns around the place, to the pizza chef’s drop-crotch pants. Don’t let this scare you. Sometimes, cool people and cool things are also good – and this is one such example. The pizza is cooked in the traditional Neopolitan style in a wood-fired brick pizza oven. The Ghiottona, with fior di latte, San Marzano 
tomato, salami, gorgonzola and capsicum, is a delectable take on your basic salami pizza, and whoever first decided to put gorgonzola and capsicum together is a genius. The Friarielli is another favourite, with smoked mozzarella, sausage, broccoli rabe and chilli. Once you’re done Googling broccoli rabe, get down to Bondi and give this place a go. Maybe wear black though, just in case it’s busy and you need to fit in to get a table.

Address: Shop LG09 The Hub 75-79 Hall St Bondi 2026
Website: daorazio.com
Phone: 8090 6969
Takeaway: Yes
Delivery: No

Vacanza, Charing Cross

Oh, Vacanza, you magical, special place. You might not do delivery, but my goodness, I’ll walk to you if that’s what it takes. Vacanza is that rare breed of pizza place that is both an actually nice restaurant, with lovely wooden tables and funky art (my favourite is the big framed photograph of the crazy-eyed Nonna upstairs), and a maker of delicious, fuss-free pizza. The staff is really friendly (and also generally very good-looking, FYI) and it’s BYO (although you can buy drinks there, too).

But on to the crucial part: the pizza. You’ve got a thin, lightly scorched base that bubbles around the edges, as if to say, “Taste me.” You’ve got generous but not overbearing toppings. You’ve got fresh produce from both Italy and Australia. All the pizzas are amazing, but I think there are two standouts. Firstly, the “Il Pizzaiolo” Diavola is a sumptuous, cheesy, meaty delight. With San Marzano tomatoes, Italian fior di latte, Borgo antica hot sopressa, fresh chilli and olives, it’s just a winner. The “Il Capitano” comes next, with San Marzano tomatoes, Italian fior di latte, truffle oil, goat’s cheese, Swiss roasted mushrooms, and Italian pork and fennel sausage. What takes this pizza from a 9/10 to an 11/10 is the truffle oil. It’s already wonderful, but when you get a whiff of that truffle-y goodness, you just surrender yourself to not talking until you’re finished. Damn.

Address: 261 Bronte Rd Waverley NSW 2024
Website: www.vacanza.com.au
Phone: 9090 2089
Takeaway: Yes
Delivery: No

Gelbison, Bondi

Walking in to Gelbison is like running in to an old friend. It’s that easy, comfortable feeling you get when you know that you are surrounded by zero pretence, good food, and people that are happy to see you. Gelbison has been around for a long time – about thirty years, now – and it has never lost the charm that owner and chef Nicola brought with him from near the Amalfi Coast. I’m pretty sure that the laminated menus have been around that long too, and that just adds to the glorious ambiance of the place.

The pizza is traditional and scrumptious. Nothing fancy here, just old fashioned cooking from the heart. The Calabrese is a crowd favourite, with tomato, cheese, garlic, mushroom, hot salami, olives and chilli. The Magic Boot is also incredibly satisfying, with tomato, cheese, oregano, anchovies, onions and capers. Finally, the fact that there are plastic chairs outside gives this place such a warm space in my heart. Plastic chairs are the only chairs really conducive to late night D and M’s. And from there, a few minutes walk down to Bondi Beach to finish the evening (or not).

Address: 10 Lamrock Avenue Bondi Beach NSW 2026
Website: www.gelbisonbondi.com
Phone: 9130 4042
Takeaway: Yes
Delivery: Yes

Jack’s Pizzas, Coogee

Jack’s Pizzas will not be winning any ‘most stylish’ awards, nor is it likely to ever get reviewed on Broadsheet, but you know what? We don’t care. We have an enduring love for this little shop on Coogee Bay Road. It’s been around since 1996, it’s a family business, and the website says cute things like, “We consider each and every one of our customers as an extended part of our family.” YOU GUYS. Leaving that aside, the pizza is worthy of adulation all of its own accord. Maybe you wouldn’t normally think to order a garlic pizza, but we recommend you do here. Coogee resident Laura Gittoes eloquently sums it up when she says that it is a “game changer”. “It’s just so doughy, but the crust is not too thick,” she adds. The Siciliana, with pepperoni, artichokes, roasted capsicum, olives, anchovies and sun dried tomatoes will transport your tastebuds to… Sicily. The Country Special is also fearlessly wonderful. “Would you like broccoli?” it asks. “And cauliflower?” “While I’m at it, why don’t I just give you some moist artichoke, perfectly wilted spinach, sundried tomatoes, sweet roasted capsicum, and some fresh, fragrant basil?” To which you respond, in a sensual whisper, “Yes”.

Address: 132 Coogee Bay Rd Coogee 2034
Website: www.jackspizzas.com.au
Phone: 96650033
Takeaway: Yes
Delivery: Yes

The Corner House, Bondi

Maybe you’ve been to the Corner House Dining Room for a fancy date with bae, but have you experienced all the wood-fired pizza delights of The Kitchen? In my opinion, this is where the magic happens. The décor is cool – think hanging plants and salvaged railway tracks (the building used to be a stop on the old Bondi Tram) – but the pizza eschews such meaningless classes as ‘cool’. It’s just delicious. The Gonzo is my favourite, with sautéed swiss browns, button mushrooms, fontina cheese, torn oyster mushrooms, roasted garlic and thyme dressing. But if you’re either really adventurous or really baked, go the Crowded House. It’s like four pizzas in one, divided into four different topping sections based off the other pizzas on the menu. For example, one of the quarters is spicy salami, provolone cheese, kalamata olives and chilli oil, while another is white anchovies, provolone cheese and sour onions. Wash it all down with a delicious glass of red from the exceptional wine menu, and you’ve got yourself a good night sorted.

Address: 281 Bondi Road Bondi 2026
Website: thecornerhouse.com.au
Phone: 8020 6698
Takeaway: Yes
Delivery: No

Society Pizzeria, Bondi

You might not know about Society Pizzeria simply because it is so small, and its Bondi Rd shop front is so unobtrusive. But don’t let the lack of ostentatious fanfare distract you from main game: hunky, charcoal-y, Cantania-style pizza. If you’re not one to mess with the classics, try the Calzone di Pippo, a classic folded pizza filled with smoked leg ham and ricotta. If you like getting porked, give the Porchetta a go, with fior di latte, caramelised onion, slow-roasted pork belly and radicchio. Let’s face it, everything here is good. You’ve got cute Italians cooking traditional Sicilian family recipes, you’ve got the option of ordering a metre long pizza if you’re eating in, and you’ve got pictures on the walls elucidating how to say crazy stuff with your hands in Sicily. Pazzo buono!

Address: 65 Bondi Road Bondi 2026
Website: societycatering.com.au
Phone: 9389 4666
Takeaway: Yes
Delivery: Yes

Coogee Pavillion, Coogee

As I’m sure we all know by now, Coogee Pav is like a playground for adults (and the back part of the ground floor is literally a playground). Walking in to the cavernous building, your senses are almost discombobulated, there is so much choice. And we know that choices are hard, so we’ve made one for you. Walk past the oyster bar and the fruit station. You can have those another time. This time it’s about the wood-fired pizza at Vinnie’s Pizzeria. If you like the idea of combining salami and Italian ham, get the Maila: San Marzano tomatoes, fior de latte, hot salami, Italian ham and Parmesan. If the previous suggestion makes you feel sick or left out for lifestyle or religious reasons, look no further than the Vegetariana, with San Marzano tomatoes, fior di Latte, mushrooms, grilled zucchini, grilled eggplant, Spanish onions and olives. Another great thing about Vinnies is that it continues serving pretty late into the night (it’s the last of the food vendors open each night in the Pav), so if you’ve been indulging upstairs at the rooftop bar, a fresh, hot pizza might be just the thing you need.

Address: 169 Dolphin St, Coogee NSW 2034
Website: merivale.com.au/coogeepavilion
Phone: 9240 3000
Takeaway: Yes
Delivery: No

Eat away, my pretties.