If you haven’t met Violetta, you might soon. She’d seemed settled in Brisbane’s west, but then she was on the move. She’s just set up in the inner city but already is flouncing off to the northside.

A pizzeria bearing her name recently opened in one half of a freshly restored old shopfront in Paddington’s Given Tce that had previously been home to Crust Pizza. A mixture of seating options, a wood-fired pizza oven and a couple of busy chefs ­occupy the space just inside the front door, while on the other side of the bar is Chinese restaurant Sichuan Bang Bang, giving the venue an unusual culinary split personality.

Owner Renata Roberts, who spent five years living in China, opened Sichuan in Kenmore in 2012, and then last year established the original Pizzeria Violetta next door, the name inspired by the courtesan in her favourite opera, La Traviata. She’s now duplicated the concept in Paddington and by the end of this month she plans to have a third Chinese-Italian double act on Kedron Brook Rd in Wilston.

Violetta’s dozen pizzas (bianche and rosse) are prefaced by starters including bruschette, octopus with tomato, oregano and lemon, bresaola and the like – and a crisp serve of lightly battered calamari ($16) that comes with two mayos, one lemony and one with a hint of chipotle.

Originally published on couriermail.com.au