Tartufo Pizzeria

Tartufo Pizzeria in The Emporium is about the nearest thing you'll find to a genuine Naples pizzeria without teleporting yourself to Italy.

Thanks to chef and owner Tony Percuoco, who has been plying diners with superb Italian food at his splendid Tartufo Ristorante for years now, Brisbane residents can experience authentic Neopolitan pizza at the pizzeria, which shares the premise with his gorgeous brasserie-style ristorante.

Leaving nothing to chance in his quest for authenticity, Tony has imported everything from Naples: the stunning red mosaic wood-fire oven, the two chefs, the flour, the cheese and all the ingredients down to the tomatoes, which are grown at the foothills of Mt Vesuvius.

In strict keeping with tradition, the pizzas are super thin-crusted and cooked at 450-500 degrees for no more than 45 seconds, so that they literally melt in the mouth. Best of all the dough is fermented for longer periods than usual, meaning less yeast and less after-bloat.

Toppings are all classic, ranging from margharita (the recipe of which is emblazoned in Italian on the pizza chef's T-shirt) , diavola, capricciosa, frutti de mare (seafood), calzone and the Tartufo signature pizza – an absolute must-try: a geometric star-shaped pizza with corners folded to contain truffles and Italian sausage.

Diners used to ordering marinara and getting seafood should check the ingredients first as Tony's marinare is based on the true original marinara pizza which was made by sailors at sea with canned and preserved ingredients: tomato, garlic, oregano and extra virgin olive oil.

The only break with tradition is also a nod to the Brisbane Festival with one of the pizzas Rustica Alla Noel Staunton named after Tony's friend and ex-Brisbane Festival director. 

Along with pizza, there are insalatas, a pasta and a small selection of entrees such as arancini, calamari and Ptatine (potatoes) fritti.