Two Blind Mice, Curtin … the toppings are a mix of traditional and innovative. Photo: Thomas Lucraft.
Sometimes you get a craving that only a good pizza can quell.
And I’m not talking about the sweet, doughy, calorie-laden slices from big chains (that is a totally different kind of junk food craving) but well crafted, expertly made pizzas. Woodfired or brick oven: as long as the char is even and the crust is chewy.
Here are a few of our favourite neighbourhood pizza joints in Canberra.
Two Blind Mice, Curtin
When I think back to Curtin shops before Two Blind Mice opened, I remember a bland central concrete courtyard with little reason to linger.
But these days Curtin is a thriving community hub and Two Blind Mice is at the centre. Enjoy the ambiance of fairy lights with dinner outside, or tuck yourself into a booth with a view of the wood-fired pizza oven.
Their dough is slow-proved, creating the perfect base for their Neapolitan style thin-crust pizzas. The toppings are a mix of traditional and innovative with a range of rossa (red) and bianca (white) options and they have a top-notch gluten free base as well.
Alex the Pizza Guy has a new home at 3rd Space in Hackett. Photo: Lucy Ridge.
3rd Space, Hackett and Googong
Alex Nocera – aka Alex the Pizza Guy – is so passionate about pizza that I’ve seen him moved to the brink of tears when talking about his pizza dream.
Family-run 3rd Space has become a suburban favourite for its community atmosphere and incredible pizza. Stylistically somewhere between the Roman and Neapolitan style, 3rd Space pizzas have a thin base with a chewy, fluffy crust.
I can heartily recommend the Bruno or the Ortolano, which translates to greengrocer and can therefore be described as a healthy option. They’ve recently opened a second location in Googong.
The Hem-azing at Pizza Artigiana lives up to its name! Photo: Lucy Ridge.
Pizza Artigiana by Hem, Jamison
Chef Hem’s claim to fame is his 2023 listing as one of the world’s top pizza chefs and he’s built a small empire based on his passion for pizza.
First, the Hem & Co pizza truck, next he took over Pizza Artigiana in Jamison and he’s also opened Sliceria in the city for grab-and-go Roman-style pizza slabs.
It’s worth visiting the Jamison shop to get a real sense of what this superstar is capable of. His signature pizza The Hem-azing is a complex mix of flavours: spicy salami, gorgonzola, whipped ricotta and a hot honey drizzled crust.
From a hole-in-the-wall, the Mama Dough team is churning out some bloody good pizza. Photo: Mama Dough Pizza, Facebook.
Mama Dough, Ainslie
This hole-in-the-wall has been pumping out some of the Inner North’s favourite wood-fired pizzas since 2017.
It’s now part of the broader Edgar’s family (along with The Inn and Wakefields upstairs), and you can still get their pizzas to take away.
My favourites include the prawn pizza, which comes on a vodka sauce base with just enough chilli to wake you up. Or try the caramelised onion pizza with goats cheese, rosemary and hot honey. And their starter-sized garlic pizza slaps, so don’t skip it.
The panuozzo is somewhere between a pizza and a sandwich. Check the specials for the day’s filling. Photo: Lucy Ridge.
Rosa’s, Parkes
This picturesque spot (well, whenever the construction fences are down) in the Parliamentary triangle has become a hotspot for besuited APS grads in lanyards at the end of the working day (or for a cheeky lunch).
In fact, the pizzas have been so popular that Rosas – initially conceived as an outdoors-only space – has taken over the neighbouring dining room from short-lived Ballyhoo.
They’ve extended the menu but pizza remains the meal of choice, or keep an eye out for the lunchtime panuozzo special. Described as the Italian lovechild of a pizza and a sandwich, pizza dough creates a folded pocket for fillings like deli meats, salads and veg.
The menu of pizzas includes classics with a twist, like a smoky Margherita and hot honey salami. Photo: Lucy Ridge.
Lounge Room, Kingston
Tucked away in the Kingsborough building, Lounge Room wants to be an extension of your home. Locals are welcome, nay encouraged, to come down in their slippers to grab something for dinner, and plenty of “work-from-homers” plonk themselves at a table for the day.
Although the venue is casual, it is serious about its pizza. Chef Raphael Cruz even makes two different doughs for dine-in or takeaway orders to ensure top quality. His margherita was a revelation, the secret is the addition of a little smoked mozzarella: molto bene.
The delicious mussel and prawn pizza is topped with fermented chilli oil. Photo: Lucy Ridge.
Bravo Pizza, Red Hill
After opening a second Fox and Bow location at Red Hill shops, the team added another arrow to its (fox &) bow with Bravo pizza at the back of the shops.
The venture was so beloved they’ve also added pizza to their Farrer cafe. The smoked mussel and prawn pizza with fermented chilli and salsa verde is seriously impressive, or if you’re a heathen you’ll probably enjoy Brendo’s fave: ham from the Red Hill butcher with pineapple and fior di latte.
Brendo works at the IGA next door and recommends pairing your abomination with a Nick O’Leary riesling (can you tell which side of the “pineapple on pizza” debate I’m on?)
Newly opened Pizzeria Officina in Braddon has caught our eye and we love popping in for a sourdough pizza at Casanova’s in Braidwood when we’re in town. But we know we must have missed a few gems – what are your favourite spots for a pizza?
