DOC

It’ll be bursting at the seams when you arrive, but that's part of the charm.

The owners of (DOC Espresso, DOC Mornington, DOC Albert Park and DOC Delicatessen) are the godfathers of artisan pizza in Melbourne and, for our money, this is some of the best. The focus is on imported ingredients (a map on the menu will help with origins) and the best-of-the-best for quality.

This is where you come if you want pizza like Italians eat – simple and brilliant combinations that don’t overload the crust or the palate. It’s thin, it’s crispy – it’s the way pizza should be.

Then there’s the mozzarella bar. We recommend the sample digustazione of three different varieties, including the smoked fior di latte – the ashy flavour will blow you away. Make sure to ogle the fire-engine-red pedestal-mounted meat slicer, too.

The decor is simple in this tightly packed corner wedge of a restaurant, and on a typically busy night it can be hard to squeeze between boisterous tables. But that’s how it was intended: excellent pizza in a buoyant atmosphere.