In Short: Pizzeria Da Alfredo is characterised by its superior pizzas, that demonstrate the artisanal approach to making the bases, the use of quality ingredients, and flavour imparted in the cooking process. Come for the pizzas, stay for delightful entrees and sweet dessert endings in a jovial, upbeat space.
I grew up eating pizza. Funny as it may seem of this Malaysian-born-Indian-boy, but that’s what makes living in Australia so good. It is our exposure to the culture of those that have converged to live in this great country. Now, we benefit from their ingredients and the recipes they have brought with them. One of my earliest memories of growing up in Canberra was of Mum making pizza. I recall her kneading and proofing two balls of dough that would be rolled out, dressed, and baked later in the evening. I still have that vivid memory standing alongside her in the kitchen and helping grate knobs of parmesan cheese, as she would be busy preparing the mince that would go into her delicious beef mince and capsicum pizza. As I left home to go live and work in Sydney, I continued to look forward to my trips down to Canberra where Mum would inevitably have a pizza ready to be consumed after a three hour drive on a Friday night. Mum is no longer with us, but I have those wonderful memories and can still recall the taste. I am fortunate that Sydney is home to some of the best pizza in the country. We enjoyed one such experience at Pizzeria Da Alfredo in Glebe recently.
Walking into the restaurant, I was transported to what seemed like an Italian countryside retreat. Brick walls adorned with reminders of Italy, drying chillis, and garlic (colourful plastic versions), and a soundtrack of Italian classics presented a jovial vibe and gets us into the spirit for an evening of Italian food. Out front, Alfredo Repole and his team tend to the natural wood fire oven shoveling in and retrieving cooked pizzas in a matter of minutes.
Before enjoying the Napolitana-inspired pizzas, we were treated to a platter of entrees that were memorable. The octopus salad was fantastic, with octopus definitely the star of this dish. It had a textural bite in the flesh, yet it was still tender. Combined with the celery and potato salad, it remained fresh, with a dash of creaminess from the potato.
A cured salmon salad was memorable for how the fish was treated. It was cured in a vinegar solution for 24 hours before being presented alongside rocket and cherry tomatoes. You would think, salmon that’s been cured in vinegar would be overdone in the solution but at Pizzeria Da Alfredo, it is just not the case. Thinly sliced, it had a beautiful flavour. with a firm, yet crumbly texture. Dressed with olive oil and herbs, it was just piscatorial perfection.
From two unique seafood salads, we struck gold with the crowd pleasing calamari. Golden and crispy on the outside, with tender flesh on the inside meant that it was cooked to perfection. In addition, each ring was perfectly seasoned. And. Well. We fought to the end to get that one last morsel of the calamari. Pizzeria Da Alfredo nails their third entree in a row.
A more homely, yet utterly divine, entree offering was the eggplant parmigiana. Now, if you want an entree that is rich with cheese and a tomato sauce with depth of flavour, head over to Glebe and get this into you. The eggplant was cooked down so that it just melted into my mouth. It was the total opposite to an eggplant dish I had earlier in the week which was tough and unforgiving. Here at Pizzeria Da Alfredo, great care is taken to ensure that there is a harmony between the eggplant, cheese, and tomato.
With such an epic entree platter completed, we took a break from the food and prepared for the pizza that was still to come. With the Indian summer still warming us through, I cooled down with an Aperol Spritz. It was just the right cocktail with an exquisite balance of Aperol, bubbly prosecco, soda, and orange. Refreshing and cooling, it definitely hit the spot.
Pizzeria Da Alfredo definitely is a family friendly restaurant. It’s layout lends itself to large family-styled gatherings and on our visit, we did see a large group enjoying the space. Our little diner Sammi was not forgotten as Alfredo whipped her up a Mickey Mouse shaped margherita pizza. While it was cute, what was more impressive was how Sammi really enjoyed the pizza. We take her for a one-slice-and-shes-done girl, yet she took delight in finishing the whole pizza herself. If that’s not an endorsement of the quality of the pizza at this restaurant, I am not sure what is!
It was then the adults’ turn to sample Pizzeria Da Alfredo’s calling cards. It was presented to us on a long board with a combination of bases and toppings. Take for example the prima vera. We left it up to the genius of Alfredo with regards to the flavour and ingredient combinations, and in the prima vera, I tasted a unique artichoke sauce which was creamy, yet not at all pasty, nutty with a slightly sweet flavour. It worked flawlessly with the richness of the cheese, and meatiness of the salami. It was my first time trying artichoke as a pizza sauce and definitely not my last foray into artichoke sauced pizzas.
Tricolore was the next slab of pizza that I had little trouble in demolishing. Like the prima vera it too had an artichoke base and with this pizza, prosciutto reigns supreme. I loved the meaty, salty flavour. With the residual heat of the pizza, I found the prosciutto‘s fat melting as I bit into the pizza which gave it that extra rich flavour. Fior di latte adds a divine creamy layer, and peppery rocket freshens up the mouth.
Coming into the home straight we finished with Maria Maria. It’s all about the bresaola on this pizza. Air-dried beef with a milder flavour than say the prosciutto; but do not be mistaken, it’s this lightness, combined with mozzarella that makes for, what I thought was the standout pizza of the evening. Again, like with all the pizzas at Pizzeria Da Alfredo, it’s a few outstanding ingredients on a sublime base that makes for pure pizza bliss.
We literally rolled out of Pizzeria Da Alfredo, totally contented. I might not have Mum’s pizzas to look forward to anymore, but I am in good hands when there is this kind of quality pizza available in Sydney. Alfredo and his team provided amazing service, with lots of laughter, and a genuine willingness to educate us on the processes of how the food was prepared and cooked. While we thoroughly enjoyed the dine-in experience (and look forward to returning to try more of the pizza and entrees1), if you would rather enjoy your pizza at home, Pizzeria Da Alfredo do provide a takeaway service and many of established food delivery specialists will also deliver to your home.
*Coco & Vine dined as guests of Aristotle’s and Paper Phoenix Management. However, all images and opinions are our own.
Bianca@forfoodssake says
YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!!!!!!!!!! Look at those pizzas! The margherita looks incredible!