Lucio Pizzeria

Venture into Tomorrowland – otherwise known as Zetland (or ‘Zetciti’ as a clever business in the futuristic East Village shopping centre has dubbed it). Swallow down a portent dose of the future, where worker drones live in looming grey and taupe towers in fully self-contained dormitory suburbs; places where you can purchase an Audi as easily as you can order a name brand Lucio pizza. Grappling with the location over a Birra Ichnusa ($8), I volunteer: it’s like Shanghai without the chaos. “Hence Singapore,” our neighbours at the cheek-to-jowl tables, helpfully supply. By contrast, the artisan pizzas you’ll eat here are imperfectly perfect – complete with bubbling, chewy crusts festooned with just the right amount of char. This is fully certified (Associazione Verace Pizza Napoletana) Neapolitan wood-fired pizza with minimal toppings, like Speck ($21) boasting mozzarella, Fontina and speck. All the better for showing off those flavoursome bases! Going light on the toppings enables you to appreciate the simplicity of what’s there, like paper-thin prosciutto strewn over rocket and cherry tomatoes, topped with freshly shaved Parmesan on the Filetto ($21). The prosciutto is sliced using a gleaming red Berkel meat slicer, which is also employed in the production of Il Grand Tagliere ($36.50) a heaving antipasto board won by super-fresh buffalo mozzarella (though the creamy burrata also rates a mention).

Lucio Pizzeria
Shop 34, East Village, 2-4 Defries Avenue, Zetland
Ph: (02) 9697 3028 luciopizzeria.com.au
Pizza, Italian $$