I won’t stop talking about The Bruno. Photo: Lucy Ridge.
One of my favourite things about Canberra is the hidden gems located in just about every suburb. Even longtime Canberrans don’t always know about fabulous local cafes, restaurants and bars lurking right under their noses, just a suburb or two away from them.
I caught up with some friends – lifelong Canberrans – who live in the Inner North. They were craving pizza, and after floating around a few ideas, I suggested 3rd Space in Hackett. Despite living less than a 5-minute drive away, they’d never heard of it! So off we went.
Now, I was aware that 3rd Space does excellent pizzas. I did not, however, know that Wednesday night trivia at 3rd Space is the place to be. When we arrived, the place was packed with trivia buffs, and of course, because Canberra will be Canberra, we realised that the trivia host was a mate from high school.
Cue impromptu catch-up with old friends …
3rd Space is like that: it’s a place where locals come and hang out and feel at home. People make connections that they may not have made, and (most importantly), excellent pizzas are enjoyed by all.
It’s a good sign when nobody can wait for the camera. Hurried photo: Lucy Ridge.
We squeezed onto the only remaining table and ordered the pizze fritti to start: deep-fried puffs of dough topped with luxurious Serrano ham and dusted with a moreish rosemary salt. Bocconcini had been omitted for the dairy-free member of our table. Further considerations were made in the interest of dietary requirements: the pizza chefs and wait staff offered suggestions and made a couple of alterations to ensure that the pizzas we ordered senza formaggio would still be satisfying.
The pizzas at 3rd Space are made somewhere between the Roman and Neapolitan style: thin base, with chewy, fluffy dough. The Ortolano, translating to greengrocer, came packed with veggies (so it’s practically a salad, right?) and the garlic prawns were scattered generously on the second pizza.
Alex Nocera (aka Alex the Pizza Guy) and his son Nic are the team behind 3rd Space in Hackett. Photo: Lucy Ridge.
We were told that The Bruno just wasn’t the same without cheese, so we decided to leave it as a cheesy offering for those of us blessed with a lactose tolerance. And my my my, what a tasty offering it was. Oozy stracciatella and stretchy mozzarella blanketed pieces of sausage, adorned with crisped basil. The whole thing threatened to overwhelm the thin base at the very centre of the pizza, but it was nothing that couldn’t be solved with a judicious fold.
The table next to us was enjoying pastas and a steak cooked by the customer at the table on a hot stone straight from the oven. I cooked more than my fair share of steaks during my hospitality days, so I generally prefer to let someone else do the hard work when I go out. But I must say, it did look fun (and it smelled amazing).
Traditional tiramisu just can’t be beat. Photo: Lucy Ridge.
We shared an affordable bottle of Montepulciano between us, and we continued chatting as the trivia teams finished their night and streamed out the door. We were tempted by desserts from the display fridge. Choose from cheesecake, brownies, mocha mousse, a slab of tiramisu served straight from the dish, or fresh, crunchy cannoli. There’s a lot of wacky, ‘new takes’ on tiramisu going around at the moment, but it’s hard to beat a good, traditional version.
3rd Space is now officially the new ‘go-to’ pizzeria for a couple of locals. I wonder what other local treasures await in your suburb?
3rd Space is located at Hackett Shops, 4 Hackett Pl, Hackett. They are open on Tuesday from 5 to 8 pm, Wednesday through Saturday from 12 to 9 pm and Sunday from 12 to 8 pm. Follow 3rd Space on Facebook or Instagram, and book ahead if you want a table for trivia night.
