Situated on Malvern Rd, the second venue of Melbourne’s beloved +39 Pizzeria has settled in quite comfortably into its new Toorak space. With polished concrete floors, re-purposed timber tables, and crisp white walls adorned with dark wooden shelves filled with a variety of San Pellegrino drinks, the aesthetics of the new venue perfectly match the relaxing charm of the surrounding Hawksburn Village.
Since its opening in late March this year, +39 Pizzeria’s second restaurant has fast become a favourite spot for authentic Italian antipasti, insalate, pizza, and pasta for Toorak locals and their families, with Sunday afternoons being the busiest period of the week so far.
The antipasti ranges from simple Italian style garlic bread ($9), all the way to a more sophisticated tasting platter of various Italian cured meats and cheeses ($25) accompanied by pickles, taralli, truffle honey and house made red onion jam. However, the U Cuoppo D’Amalfi ($14.50), with its promise of fresh fried calamari and zucchini strips, served in a traditional cuoppo (paper cone), alongside a dollop of creamy chili mayonnaise, caught our attention above all else. True to their word, the antipasto was a crispy golden perfection of tender calamari rings and crispy zucchini strips, that instantly brought back childhood memories of relaxing family trips down to the beach. A fantastic start to any weekend.
Next came the Crudaiola ($26.50) – a thin crust pizza topped with parmesan, fresh rocket, marinated roma tomatoes, hand torn buffalo mozzarella and Prosciutto di Parma. I am very happy to say that for the first time in my life, I felt refreshed after indulging in pizza. The juicy roma tomatoes nicely balanced out the paper thin slices of salty Prosciutto di Parma. Also, the use of parmesan and buffalo cheese completely deducted the usual greasy aftertaste of pizza from the whole experience, making the Crudaiola a rare, oh-so-easy to eat dish that would have been absolutely flawless, if only the pizza crust was a little fluffier.
The meal then closed with a Blue Swimmer Crab Gnocchi ($28), which I would gladly comeback to eat again in the future. The dish was beautifully presented with a blue swimmer crab sitting on a bed of house made gnocchi, dressed with a mixture of crayfish bisque and chili Napoli sauce, and garnished with juicy cherry tomatoes and fresh parsley. The rich Napoli sauce seasoned with chili and garlic, seamlessly complemented the gnocchi which were plump and pillowy in texture, but delicate and shy in flavour. As for the crab, it was cooked to a perfect juicy firm texture just like the fried calamari rings, making the Blue Swimmer Crab Gnocchi the definite highlight of the whole meal.
With its light and open atmosphere, filled with the soothing music of old soul and R&B legends like Otis Redding, +39 Pizzeria’s new Toorak venue is a wonderful refuge from the stresses of everyday life. So bring your friends and family, and enjoy some authentic Italian cuisine that is guaranteed to make you feel perfectly at home.
+39 Pizzeria
Address: 517 Malvern Road, Toorak, VIC 3142
Contact: (03) 9826 8815
Website: www.plus39.com.au
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