Pizzette

361 Brunswick St
Fitzroy, VIC 3065
https://www.pizzette.au/

With a glance through the glass shopfront, it would be easy to fob Pizzette as just another late-night takeaway, with pre-made pizzas slowly getting soggy under the heat lamp. But here’s the secret: Pizzette is pure Italian. The owner prides himself on traditional Roman recipes, and with a little bit of prompting, will enthusiastically recommend his favourites from the extensive line-up. And the best bit is, though Pizzette is so much more, it is also a late-night takeaway, so if you’re hankering for something decent to soak up a boozy evening, it no longer has to be the same greasy kebab.

Rating: 13/20 – it’s pronounced pizzeh-teh.
Order: the carbonara pizza, oh yes.
Also grab: something light and fizzy from the fridge to cut through the grease

So the thing about Pizzette is that they do pizza al taglio, where the large trays of pizza are sold by the slice (or even better, by weight), and heated up in the oven to get the doughy yet light base golden crisp. It provides so much freedom for customising your meal for every situation – I absolutely love it.

The Parmagiana ($8) came highly recommended by the owner chef, and it was a classic combination of eggplant, tomato, and plenty of parmesan. It was a great way to showcase the thick, crispy crust, which contrasted delightfully with the eggplant, soft and oily from being slowly cooked down in sugo.

For the people who like to live hard and fast, I would recommend the Carbonara ($8) – an utterly decadent slice of carbs, cheese, and chunks of guanciale that ooze fat and salt with each bite.

On the slightly lighter end is the Asparagi ($8), its fresh, green notes mellowed out with lots of oozy taleggio and specks of crispy pancetta. It’s a great choice if you want to feel virtuous without actually having to follow through.