In the heart of Zetland you’ll find this gem of a pizzeria. Lucio has been a Sydney institution since piazziolo Lucio De Falco set up shop in Darlinghurst and now Zetland. Their real pride of place is having been awarded the title of “Best Pizza in Australia” at the annual Pizza Wold Championships in Italy. An esteemed award for anyone in the pizza business, we knew we had to pay them a visit.

The interior is quite cosy with a great family friendly vibe. Walking past the bar and kitchen you’ll get to see the chefs and piazzioli reading the magic as you ponder which delicious dish they’re artfully creating behind the scenes.

The prosciutto and pesce ($19.50) with stracciatella cheese, roasted peaches and vin cotto. In this case instead of roasted peaches it was served with dates which I feel worked just as nicely as the peaches would have. The prosciutto was fantastic and melted in your mouth with the beautiful salty, slightly smoky notes you find with authentic Italian prosciutto. Served with a side of charred bread this will certainly get your tastebuds ready for the main course.

Risotto Verde ($25) with pea puree, mint and goat’s cheese was both a satisfying dish but didn’t leave you feeling heavy like some pasta dishes. I found this a really fresh dish in terms of flavour because of the pea puree and mint giving an earthy presence overall. The goat’s cheese added a sharp creamy layer into the mix heightening the flavour profile entirely.

Although they have great entree and pasta options their real claim to fame is their award winning pizza. One of the secrets behind their fabulous pizzas is that they leave their dough to rise for 25 hours to make sure it’s had plenty of time to rise and let the flavours develop in their own right. I can confirm that the dough alone makes this pizza amazing, there was not a crust left in sight in the dining room.

A weekly pizza special, though soon to be menu regular, was definitely the highlight of the night for me. It’s easy to see why the Bolognese Pizza ($28) with burrata and pecorino cheese has won the hearts of locals. The dough, which is made fresh daily and left to raise for 25 hours, is simply incredible on it’s own. Add in a layer of perfectly seasoned bolognese sauce on top and a round of creamy, melty burrata on top this pizza was just pure indulgence and I don’t think I found a single fault with it. Other than the fact I wish I had room to devour another one! 

I asked our delightful waitress Harley for a wine to match and she brought us a glass of the Stella Rossa Barbera d’Asti Marco Bonfante 2015 ($14) which was a great choice to pair with the meaty bite of the pizza. This full bodied wine held it’s own against the strong flavours of the bolognese with flavours of red fruits like cherries and plums with smooth, rounded tannins to finish. Slight herbal notes also played well with the seasoning in the pizza. Lucio sourced these wines himself from his trips around Italy.

It’s easy to see how Lucio Pizzeria was awarded such a prestigious award for their fabulous pizzas but there is so much more to this store than this. With a wonderful family atmosphere, friendly knowledgable staff and an absolute crowd pleaser of a menu it really is worth the trip to one of their stores to see what the fuss is about. 

Lucio Pizzeria
2/4 Defries Ave, Zetland, Sydney NSW
Phone: (02) 9697 3028
Web: luciopizzeria.com.au