A cult favourite pizzeria opens a second slice shop – somewhere very unexpected

If you don’t spend much time in Melbourne’s south-east, you could still be yet to get a slice of the action at one of Melbourne’s most popular pizzerias. Sunnyside Sliced has been serving supersized New York-style pizzas in Mentone since 2021 and, after a long wait, a second, more central Melbourne location is here.

Docklands might seem like a strange spot to bring a suburban slice shop to more mouths. But for Sunnyside Sliced owner Ali Cengiz, “[It] felt like the right next step ... It’s dense, it moves quickly and it’s been under-serviced when it comes to quality food.”

Tapping into the community that lives in the area’s high rises, Cengiz has opened what he calls “a neighbourhood slice shop on the edge of the city”. It’s beneath Home Docklands, a new residential development with more than 600 apartments, on La Trobe Street.

But he also wants to capture the pre- and post-footy crowd from nearby Marvel Stadium, joining a recently expanded food offering. “I’ve been going for years to watch Carlton [play],” says Cengiz. “We want Sunnyside to become part of that ritual.”

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Thin-crusted with an easy-to-eat foldability, New York-inspired pizza is his specialty. Long-fermented dough is used to make 45-centimetre (18-inch) pies that are available whole or by the slice. Whole pizzas are baked on demand while slices are partially baked ahead of service, then finished to order.

All the bestsellers have made their way from Mentone, including the classic three cheese (with mozzarella, provolone and aged caciocavallo) and the pepperoni, with a new halal option for full pies. “We’ve taken the time to source a high-quality halal pepperoni, something that’s been noticeably lacking in the market,” says Cengiz.

Another fan favourite is the Hella Honey, a mix of chorizo, jalapeno, provolone and Bippi hot honey.

Diverting from NYC, you can also find thicker-crusted deep-pan pizzas that lean more Sicilian in style. One is baked upside down, the three-cheese blend covering the base of the pan to give it a serious crust. A small range of sub sandwiches come on house-baked bread.

And to drink? The venue doesn’t serve booze but there’s an icy Arnold Palmer – two-parts iced tea, one-part lemonade – that’s a signature.

A “now slicing” neon sign beckons you into the space, splashed with stainless steel and built for fleeting visits. There’s standing room for around 30 people to perch at benches or a communal table crafted from reclaimed Douglas fir pine.

The Docklands addition follows Sunnyside setting up in Brisbane earlier this year.

Open lunch and dinner daily

685 La Trobe Street, Docklands, sunnysidesliced.com.au

Four other new pizza spots – and what they’re best for

For Roman-style pizza: Porco Ciccio, Thornbury

This new-age “forno” – a bakery channelling those of Rome – does pizza and panini that are uncannily similar to those in the Italian capital. Traditional toppings and fillings let the ingredients speak for themselves, from confit tomato and burrata pizza al taglio (by the slice) to the breakfast baciata, which involves two thin layers of dough that form a sandwich of Hagen’s porchetta, smoked scamorza and caramelised onion. On Friday nights in May, its pizza van is popping up at Collingwood brewery Molly Rose (279-285 Wellington Street).

822 High Street, Thornbury, instagram.com/porco.ciccio

For Detroit-style pizza: Mile 9, West Melbourne and CBD pop-up

With a permanent location in the west and a pop-up at city laneway bar Baby Driver, it’s now easier to get to one of Melbourne’s few pizza joints dedicated to the Detroit style. That means thick square slices with crispy caramelised edges. One is topped with sausage and rapini, or bitter broccoli rabe; another is all about hot honey and blue cheese; both are part of the all-you-can-eat pizza sessions that Baby Driver runs on weekends.

Warehouse 4/1 Lennon Street, West Melbourne; 2 Driver Lane, Melbourne; mile9pizza.com

For Neapolitan-leaning pizzetti: Upper Middle, South Melbourne

From cafe classics to a baguette bar, the menu runs the gamut at this new south-side daytime diner by Franck Sammut, who worked front-of-house atFrance-Soir for nearly 20 years. But pizza is a key player, made with long-fermented dough that Summut says is closest in style to Neapolitan. It’s shaped into regular rounds as well as pizzetti: boat-shaped, smaller-than-usual pizzas that are a good size for lunchtime. There’s always one vegetarian and one meaty option, both priced at $14.50.

34 Eastern Road, South Melbourne, uppermiddle.com.au

For Tokyo-style pizza: Garfield, Carlton

In Lygon Street’s former King & Godfree site, this casual counter-service restaurant builds on a rich Italian heritage with pizzas made to the “Tokyo stretch” method, giving the Neapolitan-style rounds a Japanese edge. Carefully pinching and stretching the dough keeps it as airy as possible, ready to be wood-fired with deliciously oddball toppings. The cacio e pepe pizza is finished with crunchy potato crisps, while the Tokyo Bianco is crowned with raw tuna (yes, crudo-style) with a bonito-spiked bechamel underneath.

293-297 Lygon Street, Carlton, garfieldpizzeria.com