Popular Via Napoli opens inner-east spin-off slinging cacio e pepe and carbonara pizzas

Roman pizza is conquering Sydney. In the past year, it’s hit the menu at Self Raised Snack Shoppe in Bexley North, and is served by the slice at new takeaway pizzerias Ta Ta Ta (Bondi Junction) and Merivale’s Oti(CBD).

Now, it’s the focus of Via Napoli’s new sister restaurant, 170 Grammi, a casual, neighbourhood pizzeria with a walk-in bar for after-work Americanos.

Crunchy, thin Roman-style bases are a departure from the authentic Neapolitan style Via Napoli has championed at its Lane Cove restaurant since 2011.

“[We’re] using the traditional la tonda scrocchiarella Romana or round style that was popular in the 1950s,” says owner Luigi Esposito, who has created a selection of toppings based on pasta sauces such as cacio e pepe and carbonara.

Good to know: The wine list focuses on affordability, with no bottles priced over $65.

Must-try: For dessert, there’s classic Roman maritozzi: light brioche buns filled with fresh whipped cream ($12).

Open Wed-Thu 5-10pm, Fri-Sun noon-10pm

428 Crown Street, Surry Hills, 170grammi.com.au

Tokyo Lamington expands to Marrickville

Tokyo Lamington opened its second Sydney cafe on June 15, bringing its colourful and unconventional lamingtons (in flavours such as yuzu meringue, Vietnamese iced coffee, and tres leches) to Marrickville’s burgeoning hospitality scene.

Owners Eddie Stewart and Min Chai took seven weeks to renovate the space, which formerly housed ONA coffee. It’s more than twice the size of the original Newtown store, and filled with morning sunlight, jazz and mid-century couches.

The menu is larger, too. Over the next few weeks they’ll add a new range of focaccias (loaded with lap cheong pork sausage and chilli, for example) and pastries (such as croissants and chocolate eclairs) to their existing range of onigiri, pies and sausage rolls. But the most exciting part may be the launch of their first lamington croissant, set to drop about mid-July.

Good to know: The cafe is dog-friendly and a short walk from the Sydenham Metro Line Station, which is set to open towards the end of winter.

Must order: The cheesecake lamington ($7.80), which uses ricotta from new neighbours Paesanella Cheese.

Open daily 7am-3pm

140 Marrickville Road, Marrickville, tokyolamington.com

Darlinghurst baker Yeongjin Park with an onigiri croissant.

Tenacious Bakehouse rebrands, adds pizza

Innovative Darlinghurst baker Yeongjin Park (the man behind the viral onigiri croissants and miso caramel Portuguese tarts) has reopened his Oxford Street cafe after a sleek renovation and rebrand. Tenacious Bakehouse has become Tenacious, a pastry-forward cafe by day, and pizza joint by night.

Much like Park’s pastries, which are known for fusing traditional baking techniques with Asian flavours, his pizza is wholly unique to Sydney: the dough is “light and chewy, like mochi” (pounded rice with a satisfying, stretchy quality), with toppings inspired by popular Korean dishes such as haemul pajeon (seafood pancake, with prawns, squid, green onions and garlic chives) and dakgalbi (chicken and vegetables with a spicy gochujang-based sauce and melted cheese).

The contemporary minimalist space seats 20 people, and is walk-in only.

Good to know: Pastries will be served directly from the kitchen, rather than the counter, as Park works to elevate the eating experience.

Must order: Corn cheese croissant ($10).

Open daily 8am-3.30pm (bakehouse) and 5-10pm (pizza).

101 Oxford Street, Darlinghurst, tenaciouscroissant.com.au