Lucio Pizzeria 248 Palmer Street, Darlinghurst, New South Wales 2010

"A short 10 min walk from Museum station, the Lucio pizza is one of the best pizzas I’ve had in Sydney. Service was also lovely, polite and timely - no complaints at all. Seating arrangements are a little bit tight"

"Had an enjoyable, relaxed family dinner here. Outside seating area has a great European summer vibe with a few restaurants sharing a common large courtyard area. Pizza is Napoletana style so very thin base and big, soft and chewy crust. This is our preferred style. Flavours and toppings were good. Spinach calzone was mu favourite, kids liked the Lucio pizza. Probably would give 4.5 star but just not 5/5 for me when comparing to some other Napoletana pizzerias in Sydney. Definitely worth a visit though."

"The food was overall good. The pizza was nice. The Caprese salad was bland and not really that good. Just tasted like a whole bunch of things tossed together but it didn't taste like a salad. Just mixed cheese tomatoes and basil in a bowl. And for $18-20. It was definitely not worth it. The waitress we got was not very friendly. Felt like she was a little rude and unpleasant to deal with which is a shame because the other works we noticed attending to other tables came across as very friendly and helpful. Maybe we just got the unlucky waitress. The pizza was also nice."

"Classic Neapolitan pizzas and salads. My favourite is the buffalo mozzarella margarita and the pear and arugula salad. Nice choice of wines by the glass, and friendly service. On inclement weather days, there are tent awnings to keep diners dry and a heater for warmth. Only two downsides: The loud rock music that keeps the kitchen staff going is really not conducive to a relaxed dining experience and the front windows really need a good clean."

"Lucio De Falco, from Naples, Lucio has a long history of working with pizza from a young age and has worked all around Europe before settling in Sydney. He’s now been here over 15 years and owns and runs Lucio Pizzeria in Darlinghurst and Zetland. Lucio has the stamp of approval for producing authentic Napoletana, being the vice president Australasia and member of the AVPN (Associazione Verace Pizza Napoletana). He also competed at the Campionato Mondiale Della Pizza in Parma Italy, attaining the award for best pizza in Australia and 5th in the world. That said, you know you’re going to be in for a good pizza at Lucio Pizzeria. We arrive at the Darlinghurst location which has been a stalwart in the area for many years. It’s in a lovely courtyard area where tables allow you to dine alfresco with covered sails. The restaurant also has an open kitchen, allowing for you to see the chef in action at the dominating woodfired pizza oven, which certainly makes you salivate for the meal ahead. The menu showcases the traditional and authentic Neapolitan style pizza, pasta, antipasti and desserts, using beautiful fresh produce sourced both locally and from around Australia. There’s a great range of entrees and we enjoyed the lovely Capesante or scallops with pancetta and pumpkin as well as a side salad of Rocket with parmesan, pears and balsamic vinegar called the Rucola, Parmigiano e Pera. You’re able to try their zucchini flowers, calamari fritti or antipasto plates amongst a range of other Italian dishes. Furthermore, we can recommend ordering pasta too. The Orecchiette al Pesto or Orecchiette with pesto Genovese was an outstanding dish. Perfectly cooked pasta with the most beautifully flavoured and textured pesto sauce. We would most definitely order again. But it’s a pizzeria of course, and you can’t leave here without having one of their amazing pizzas. The pizzas have all of your classic and authentic Italian flavours from Margherita, to Diavola to name a few, and our choice, the Capricciosa. This was a beautifully light dough, topped with a delicious mozzarella, mushroom, ham, artichoke and olives. We loved this, and tasted so good straight out of the pizza oven. Although like us, you’re probably full by this stage, you can’t leave without dessert. The traditional Italian tiramisu is just as you hope for. The dessert has all your favourite flavours; the prominent lady fingers, mascarpone, coffee, sugar and cocoa and is so creamy and delicious. In addition, there’s also bombolini, pannacotta and even Nutella pizza. Whilst you dine, why not order a glass of wine or beer with a range of Australian and Italian wines on the menu. Lucio and the staff were so lovely and made every effort to ensure that we were welcomed and well looked after. Overall we had a wonderful experience at Lucio Pizzeria and strongly encourage you to pay a visit."