Some of the best pizza in the world can be found right here in Australia, in an unassuming local pizzeria in Melbourne’s north.
Pizza has been around since antiquity. And people have a lot of strong feelings about what constitutes a great pizza (pineapple, or no? Thick crust or thin?). From Naples to New York, pizza is a source of cultural prowess and pride. So, it’s no small feat that a hole-in-the-wall neighbourhood pizzeria in Melbourne has been labelled as one of the world’s best at none other than the globally-recognised 50 Top Pizza World awards held in Naples.
SHOP225 has been crowned the best pizza restaurant in Australia (Image: Julian Lallo)
SHOP225 were ranked 28th in the world, competing against over 1000 other restaurants (Image: Julian Lallo)
The friendly neighbourhood restaurant is beloved by locals in Melbourne's north. (Image: Julian Lallo)
SHOP225 of Pascoe Vale in Melbourne’s north took out the top gong for best pizza in the country, ranking 28th in the world overall and beating out some of Italy’s most esteemed pizzerias. The beloved, small local restaurant competed against over 1,000 other pizzerias from around the globe, with results decided by judges who posed as anonymous shoppers. SHOP225 was the only Australian restaurant to crack the top 50 list, with just one other Aussie restaurant nabbing a spot on the long-list of top 100 pizza restaurants, 48h Pizza e Gnocchi Bar , also in Melbourne.
It’s no surprise that the Victorian capital is Australia’s front-runner when it comes to great pizza, given the waves of Italian migration in the city’s history that have greatly shaped its food and coffee culture. Absent from the list this year is Sydney’s Al Taglio, which has been a fixture of on the list in previous years.
SHOP225 is the creation of chef Lorenzo Tron, who does things a little differently. Whereas some pizzerias are known for their stubborn adherence to ingredients and recipes (looking at you, Italy), SHOP225 prides itself on its ability to create great pizza for any dietary requirement. In fact, the restaurant was one of the first pizzerias to be accredited by Coeliac Australia. Tron’s culinary philosophy was influenced by his vegan mother, who would often struggle to find accommodations when dining out around Melbourne. Eleven of the thirteen pizzas on offer at SHOP225 can be made vegan, and gluten-free crust is made from a combination of rice, tapioca, maize, soy, pea and potato flours.
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Elizabeth Whitehead is a writer obsessed with all things culture; doesn't matter if it's pop culture or cultures of the world. She graduated with a degree in History from the University of Sydney (after dropping out from Maths). Her bylines span AFAR, Lonely Planet, ELLE, Harper's BAZAAR and Refinery 29. Her work for Australian Traveller was shortlisted for single article of the year at the Mumbrella Publishing Awards 2024. She is very lucky in thrifting, very unlucky in UNO.
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