When I was eleven, all I wanted for dinner was pizza. My friend from swimming class had a “junk food night” every Friday night, and that’s all I wanted too. Sadly, my parents stuck to cooking at home, so pizza was a rare treat.
When I moved out of home and next to Lygon Street in Melbourne, famed for its abundance of Italian food, my appreciation of pizza was sharpened again – despite my Milanese housemates telling me that it wasn’t “real” Italian (because “real” Italian was Milanese, not Sicilian). Still, my favourite place knew me by name, and would shout me a beer while I waited for my pizza to bake.
I still haven’t found a Canberran pizza place I love quite as much as that place, but in my relatively short time here, I’ve managed to eat my share of pizza. And in the interests of ensuring that you don’t suffer from the same fate I did for 18 years of junk food-less Friday nights, I’ve rounded them up for you.
When I first arrived in Canberra, many of my Friday nights were spent on Lonsdale Street, so I can tell you that 10” Custom Pizzeria is one of my favourite pizza places around. The woodfire pizzas are topped with fresh ingredients, and have a great crust – it helps that you never have to wait too long, and if you’re waiting, you can drink! I love The Hamlet.
Just down the road you’ll find Pizza Gusto, which is similarly efficient and also offers woodfire pizzas that are fresh and crispy. I’ve eaten my share of the classic margheritas; a pizza I feel can tell you what you need to know about a pizza place. If they can nail a margherita, they’ve got my vote. And Pizza Gusto nails their margheritas. You can eat outside on some benches, but their pizzas are made for taking away.
A little further south is Briscola Pizzeria, which is more of a sitdown restaurant. It’s nice having a restaurant where pizzas aren’t seen as the inferior option, and Briscola does it right. I’ll also shout out Debacle (two for one pizzas on Monday nights), Da Bronx in Gungahlin (passable New York style pizzas, as long as you don’t mind your pizzas relatively plain) and Mills and Grills and Pot Belly in Belconnen.
And a few foodie events coming up this month: I absolutely want to hit up the annual Beer Degustation at The Boathouse, in conjunction with Capital Brewing Co. A six-course meal, canapés, and all beer included? Count me in. Friday June 16, $170 + bf.
Polit Bar has hump day cocktails and karaoke with cocktail specials and two for one selected drinks with every pizza shared. Wednesday June 7, free entry.
And if you’re not one for karaoke, the new Diplomatico range is launching at the Highball Express. Drink some rum (including a cocktail on arrival) and some charcuterie. Bookings are essential. Wednesday June 7, $30.
SHARONA LIN
