Newtown is about to get serious when it comes to its pizza offering. Of course this is all thanks to the arrival of Bella Brutta; the pizzeria landing courtesy of the teams behind much lauded Sydney eateries LP’s Quality Meats and Porteño.

Translated Bella Brutta means ‘beautiful ugly’, which is exactly the kind of pizzas that co-owner Luke Powell (of LP’s) likes to eat. “I like my pizza quite charred, with lots of character, and a bit burnt up,” he explains of the name . “They’re always a little misshapen. And the pizza here is going to be a bit of a mashup of what we each like to eat.”

While the intentions of the banded team may have been for a small space, it seems that fate has intervened and awarded the group with something a little more elaborate. “We’ve been looking for a site for a long time,” says Powell. “We found something that was a lot bigger than we thought. It’s 190 square metres, with a little outdoor courtyard. There’s also a large bar – it must be 9 metres long.”

The result is a restaurant with seating heavy on variety. One side of the room will remain dedicated to the bar (with bar-side seating available), the other will be home to one large banquette, where you can settle in for the night.

The unexpected additional room has also meant that the dream of an intimate pizzeria has developed into something grander. “The original plan has evolved,” continues Powell. “We just want it to be something really fun, where you don’t have to come to eat pizza. We’ll have heaps of other things like charcuterie and vegetables to have as well.”

Unsurprisingly considering the involvement of LPs, meat-based mains are on the cards down the track. “There’s a lot more we could do with the space once we get comfortable,” admits Powell. But only time will tell, with Bella Brutta planning its launch (after a series of delays) for Thursday night following its soft launch on Monday. Bella Brutta will be open seven days a week from 5.00pm, and will serve lunch on Saturday and Sundays from 12.00pm.

Bella Brutta
135 King Street, Newtown