BEST NEW RESTAURANT
Bella Brutta
UNTIL HE BEGAN testing recipes for Bella Brutta, chef and co-owner Luke Powell had never cooked pizza before. Now, a year after opening the Newtown pizzeria, some might say he’s the best pizzaiolo in town. It’s an astonishing achievement, but one that should come as no surprise to anyone who’s been keeping tabs on him over the years. We could go on about his days as head chef at Tetsuya’s, remind you that he helped get Mary’s off the ground, or recount his stint with the woodfired oven at Ester. And then, of course, there’s that Midas touch when it comes to roasting, smoking and curing quality meats at his eponymous Chippendale eating house, LP’s. Let’s just say the man can cook. Powell toyed with close to 30 different variations of the dough recipe, and once one of these puffy, bubbling, blistery bad boys lands in front of you – mere seconds after sliding out of the bright red, imported oven – it becomes very obvious he’s gotten it right. You can smell
This pedigreed Newtown newcomer takes the notion of the ideal neighbourhood pizzeria and turns it up to 11
the smoky char and slight bready sourness from across the room, and tearing off a slice confirms it’s crisp where it counts, yet soft and pliable at the same time. In other words, it’s the ultimate vehicle for the righteously salty-sweet tomato passata on a classic marinara that’s an essay in less-is-more. LP’s makes some of the city’s most sought-after smallgoods, so magic happens when circles of silky mortadella or parchment-thin pepperoni join the party. But if there’s one pizza at Bella Brutta you’ve got to get your hands on, it’s the clam. Diced surf clams are the unlikely heroes of this tomato-free flavour bomb, coated instead with a briny riff on béchamel and showered with fermented chilli, garlic and parsley. It’s a revelation. Bella Brutta is well on its way towards cementing ‘Sydney institution’ status. For now, however, it’s our Best New Restaurant for 2019. 135 King St, Newtown 2042. 02 9922 5941. www.bellabrutta.com.au. Tue-Sat 5-11pm; Sun noon-10pm.