Pizza joint Bella Brutta boasts some serious pedigree – with owners of LP’s Quality Meats, Porteño and Continental Deli behind the curtain – which explains the easy confidence this place exudes.

The high stools at the long bar and tables lining a dark-green banquette are full most nights with a young crowd sipping negronis and Italian wines. At a cherry-red Italian pizza oven in the centre of it all, a chef swirls dough and slings orders into takeaway boxes. But back to that clam pizza. Surf clams are diced and spread over a blistered base, with a sprinkle of parsley and slick of fermented chilli and lemon. It’s both simple and substantial.

While hardly as Nonna would make it, Bella Brutta nods to the Italian tradition of using good ingredients sparingly. The toothsome, long-fermented dough comes dressed with whorls of pepperoni or mortadella. Smashed potatoes on a bianca base get added umami from gorgonzola and confit garlic. The classic marinara can be accessorised with a tin of anchovies. Regularly changing starters include housemade pastas, fire-roasted vegetables or salumi of the day – LP’s, naturally. 

To read our full list of reviews for NSW, head here.