Rosso Antico

2/52-60 Enmore Rd
Newtown, NSW 2042
https://rossoanticopizzabar.com.au/

Do you know how long it’s been since I’ve had a pizza?? I do – it’s literally been over 6 months, I kid you not. As expected, the cravings hit a critical mass somewhere around March this year, and I found myself at Rosso Antico.

I’ve been eyeing off Rosso Antico for over a year now, ever since I first stumbled across it on my way to Bovine and Swine. I was impressed with how legitimately Italian their menu looked, and their adorable pizza chefs certainly didn’t hurt either.

The humble Margherita ($18) is my benchmark for sussing out the quality of a new pizza restaurant, and Rosso Antico fell somewhere in the middle of the road with their rendition. On the up-side, the crust was a gloriously tall and puffy with a healthy dusting of char, and was a complete joy to eat. But I would have liked to see a more robust and intense tomato flavour, as this tasted a little watered-down, and didn’t have enough complexity to bring out the creaminess of the mozzarella.

The Tartufo ($25) on the other hand was probably one of the most noteworthy pizzas I’ve had to date. The excellent crust made another reappearance, but the lackluster tomato was swapped for a richly pungent smear of truffle paste, and topped chunks of coarse Italian sausage, and juicy porcini mushrooms that burst with earthy umami. I’d go back for this alone.

Despite the average margherita, I’m actually super eager to come back to Rosso Antico. I may usually prefer the more minimalistic pizzas, but the tartufo was so good that I don’t mind changing things up a bit. There’s still plenty on the menu that I want to try, and although there may not be dessert, Gelato Messina is just down the road. And if there’s a better combination, I’ve yet to hear it.

Rating: 14.5/20 – wombo combo.
This rating reflects my personal experience at the time of visit.