Among gourmands, Lane Cove’s reputation at-large is that of a Japanese food suburb; but the North Shore neighbourhood is also home to Via Napoli — one of the earliest forerunners in Sydney’s trend toward Neapolitan-style pizza.
Assuming the name wasn’t already enough of a giveaway, a quick consult of Via Napoli’s menu lets one know that the specialty is everything traditional. And why mess with a good thing, when the iconic Margherita, or ink-black ‘Amalfi Way’ seafood pie, provides such consistent and universal enjoyment?
Toppings may all run toward the classic end of the spectrum, but what’s less conventional is the amount of flexibility the venue gives to hungry patrons. All pies are available in a trio of sizes (‘traditional’; ’50cm’; ‘1m’) and, if you’re liable to sampling than one flavour, may be mixed and matched across the same price point.
Via Napoli operates additional outposts in Surry Hills and Hunters Hill, but — if we had to pick one — the Lane Cove location, notable for its lengthy al fresco area, is our clear favourite.
Address: 141 Longueville Road, Lane Cove NSW 2066 (also in Hunters Hill and Surry Hills)
Contact: (02) 9428 3724
Opening Hours: Tuesday (5 PM — 10 PM); Wednesday to Sunday (12 PM — 10 PM)