PIZZA MATES (Balcatta)

Quick Links

• Before Reading
• The details
• Before visiting
• @pizzamatesaus

Before reading ❗️

The details 📝

One of our first meals of 2023 was at PIZZA MATES and boy oh boy, they set the bar high!

The story behind pizza mates is a story of friendship. Two mates - Federico D'Arienzo from Ferrara and Guiseppe Palombella from Trinitapoli met in London in 2015. They shared a love of pizza and both dreamed of one day opening their own pizzeria. The two friends travelled and worked together, jumping from Sydney to the Gold Coast and finally called Perth home. In Perth, is where PIZZA MATES, a dream that started in London, came to life.

The store is small and intimate, seating just over a handful of people. Outside, you'll find a handful of tables, perfect for warmer nights. On the menu you'll find around half a dozen pizzas and a handful of vegetarian and vegan pizzas. A number of home made pastas are also available. Be sure to look up on the blackboard menu when you visit.

You won't find arancini on the menu. But you'll find ham & peas, a lovely, cheesy deep fried ball of pasta with you guessed it - ham and peas.

Our favourite pizza during the visit was the hot box. It was a fold over / calzone like pizza. The pizza base here runs thin.  

The other pizzas were just as delicious. Like the base, the pizza crusts were light and the pizzas have a certain simplicity to them - allowing the ingredients to speak for themselves. Kind of like in a "less is more" way. The other two pizzas we ordered each had a different base.

The pollox featured a tasty basil pesto base. We also love double carbing (a.k.a. potato on pizza). Olives helped to cut through the slightly heavier ingredients on this pie.

The zucca came with a pumpkin puree base, adding a natural sweetness to the pizza, only to be balanced out by the pancetta. A sprinkle of umami comes courtesy of mushroom.

To finish off, you'll find a number of desserts on the menu (as if we weren't on track for a food coma already..). My preference is probably savoury over dessert, but you can't really go wrong, pairing anything with their pizza bases.

Keen eye'd home chefs might even notice their Ooni Pizza Oven when you walk in. The folks here also offer pizza masterclasses and catering! Be sure to contact them to find out more.

Before visiting 🚙