Via Napoli141 Longueville Rd
Lane Cove, Sydney
If you live in Sydney and love pizza then the odds are that you've heard of Via Napoli. It's an institution in Sydney - and it's one that is spreading its wings too. They already have restaurants in Lane Cove and Hunters Hill and they're about to open a third in Surry Hills.
This place has charm and atmosphere. It'd very Italian - in fact they make it a point of being overtly Italian - but it's done well and everyone seems to love it.
Most of the seating is outside, but don't let that cause you concern. Even on a cold night it's still warm and comfy there with all the heating, awnings and plastic curtaining.
Starters are an essential part of almost any meal. We decided to try two of their most popular offerings. Firstly we had the mozzarella impanata - or crumbed fried mozzarella. These large rounds crumbed but gooey pieces of rich and tasty goodness are delicious. It's easy to see why they're so heavily ordered and they come in a very decent sized serving as well with three large pieces. Then we moved on to the spaccanapoli - crispy pancetta wrapped around molten smoked buffalo mozzarella and all sprinkled with black pepper. These were delicious - crisp and salty yet gooey and rich all in one.
It's hard not to have garlic or herb bread when eating Italian food. We ordered both - but in their pizza versions. The base was so fluffy it was impossible to stop eating this even after our pizza's arrived.
The specialty of the house is of course their pizza's. There are plenty of choices too - in terms of toppings and in terms of size. The pizza's come in lengths up to 2 metres! We chose a 1 metre version with three toppings and it was massive. Our toppings were Margherita (San Marzano tomato, buffalo mozzarella, basil and olive oil), Crudo e Rucola (fior di latte, prosciutto parma, rocket, Parmesan and basil on a white base) and finally Capricciosa (San Marzano tomato, fior di latte, ham, mushrooms, basil and olives). With a name like Via Napoli (with Naples of course being the home of pizza) the offerings here are Neapolitan in style with the softer moister bases. These were delicious.
Service at Via Napoli is excellent and they do go the extra mile here - and it shows. It's popular all week and all year round so book - but it's certainly well worth visiting.
