Lucio Pizzeria, Zetland
The much-loved Lucio Pizzeria in Darlinghurst has been bringing the traditional taste of Naples to Sydney for the past decade. Off the back of its success, a second restaurant opened in 2015 at Zetland which we recently visited for an authentic Neapolitan style pizza experience.
Positioned at the entrance to the East Village Shopping Centre, Lucio Pizzeria is perfectly-located in one of the fastest growing residential areas in Sydney. And with the Green Square redevelopment happening just down the road, business will be booming for some time to come.
With an extensive menu and a mouth-watering mozzarella bar, it features an array of meats and cheeses, homemade pasta dishes, and traditional meat and fish dishes from all over Italy, adding to the already legendary traditional authentic pizza menu.
Some of the first course options include Antipasti Misto for 2, Kingfish Crudo, Calamari Fritti, and Zucchini Flowers – the latter of which we decided to sample on our visit. Stuffed with ricotta, lemon, parmesan, and home made ketchup, these were a real treat and a great way to kick things off.
While pizza is the hero on the menu, there are a number of other main and pasta dishes to enjoy including Risotto Verde, Lasagnetta, Fish Of The Day, Tagliata, and Gnocchi alla Sorrentina. We thought we’d give the Spaghetti Di Mare a try – homemade spaghetti with mussels, squid, prawns, clams and cherry tomatoes. This classic Italian dish was seafood heaven – an outstanding mix full of freshness and flavour which momentarily transported us to the coast of Italy.
Lucio Pizzeria owner Lucio De Falco recently took out the award for the ‘Best Pizza in Australia’ at the annual Pizza World Championship. Born and raised in Naples, he sure knows his pizza and naturally we couldn’t resist giving one of these a try. Pizzas are broken up into the tomato-based ones (Margherita, Bufalina, Marinara, Diavola, Calzone) and tomato-free (4 Formaggi, Tartufata, Verdurine, Rustica, Campagnola).
After much deliberation, we settled for the Capricciosa – tomato, mozzarella, mushroom, ham, artichoke and olives. This is what we’re talking about – a rigorously authentic Neapolitan-style pizza without complications. Just fresh and simple ingredients resulting in a pizza that was delicious and full of flavour.
To make the dining experience even more unique, there are also some great matching Italian wines available as well as beers and other spirits. And if you have room in the belly for dessert, there’s Tiramisu, Affogato, Lemon Tart, Nutella Pizza, Cannoli Siciliani and Gelato to enjoy.
Lucio Pizzeria would surely be one of the better pizza joints we’ve visited in recent times. If you’re looking for an authentic Italian gourmet pizza in Sydney, then look no further and head over to Lucio Pizzeria.
Lucio Pizzeria
2/4 Defries Ave, Zetland
Open Daily: 11:30am to 10pm
