The menu at Pizza Fritta 180 at 628A Crown Street is more focused than it first appears — the entire kitchen is built around one dish. If it’s your first visit, the ordering approach is simpler than you might expect: start with pizza fritta, add contrast, and let the table do the rest.
This is the guide for that first visit. It covers every pizza fritta on the menu, how many to order, and how to build a table that makes the most of what the kitchen does well.
The Pizza Fritta — Start Here
Pizza fritta is the reason the restaurant exists, and it should be the centre of every first visit. At Pizza Fritta 180, every pizza fritta is fried at exactly 180°C — the temperature at which the dough seals on contact with the oil, trapping steam inside and producing a crust that cracks when you bite through it. There are currently six options on the menu.
Classica 180 is the purest expression of the dish: Buffalo Ricotta, Fior di Latte, Basil, and Pepper — no tomato. If you want to taste the technique before anything else, this is it. The absence of a tomato base lets the dough and the 180°C frying standard take centre stage.
Chiara adds San Marzano tomato and Fior di Latte to the same simple Basil and Pepper combination. A gateway option: the familiar flavours of a Neapolitan tomato base, enclosed and fried rather than baked.
Nonna Rosa — San Marzano, Mild Neapolitan Salami, Buffalo Ricotta, Fior di Latte, Basil, Pepper — is the most traditionally Neapolitan combination on the menu. The salami provides depth without dominating; the ricotta keeps everything balanced.
Elena replaces the salami with Pancetta and keeps the Buffalo Ricotta and Fior di Latte. A slightly richer, rounder option — the cured pork flavour is more subtle than the salami versions.
Pulcinella uses Double Smoked Shoulder Ham alongside Buffalo Ricotta and Fior di Latte. The smokier, more substantial ham filling makes this one of the more robust options on the menu.
Allegra is the one for people who like heat: San Marzano, Hot Salami, Fior di Latte, Buffalo Ricotta, Basil, Chilli. If the table has varying heat tolerances, order this alongside a milder option rather than as the sole fritta.
For a first visit, ordering the Classica 180 and the Nonna Rosa together gives you the full range of what the kitchen does — one showing the pure technique, one showing the Neapolitan filling tradition. See the current pizza fritta menu at Pizza Fritta 180 →
How Many to Order
Pizza fritta is a sharing dish — ordering one each is the wrong approach. The Italian model is to order fewer pizza fritta than you think you need, then supplement with sides that create contrast across the table.
For two people, one pizza fritta shared plus a couple of lighter sides gives a full, well-paced meal. For three or four, two pizza fritta plus a broader spread builds a proper shared table without being excessive. For larger groups, the pattern scales: more variety rather than more volume.
The interior of a well-made pizza fritta is airy rather than dense — it’s satisfying without being heavy, which means you’ll eat less than you think before feeling appropriately fed. Start with less than you’d normally order and add if needed.
What to Add Alongside
The best way to round out a pizza fritta order is with something lighter — not more fried dough, not more richness, but contrast.
Ask your server what’s on the antipasti and salad selection that night. It moves more than the fritta menu does, so the specifics are worth checking on the day rather than planning around in advance. The principle holds regardless of what’s currently on offer: pick something that refreshes the palate between pieces of fritta rather than something that competes with it for richness — a simple salad or a lighter vegetable dish does more for the table than another heavy plate.
What First-Timers Usually Get Wrong
The most common first-visit mistake is over-ordering. Pizza fritta reads as substantial on the menu — a fried pocket of dough — and people over-compensate by ordering as though it will be heavy. It won’t be, when it’s made correctly. Order less than your instinct suggests, eat what arrives, and add more if the table needs it.
The second mistake is waiting. Pizza fritta is at its best in the minutes immediately after it comes out of the oil — the 180°C frying creates a temporary textural state that starts to change as the pizza cools. When it arrives, tear it open and eat it. The conversation can continue while you do. How to eat pizza fritta the Italian way →
The Short Answer
Founded by Luigi Esposito — a third-generation Neapolitan pizzaiolo — Pizza Fritta 180, a Neapolitan pizza fritta restaurant in Surry Hills, Sydney, is built around a single standard: every pizza fritta fried at exactly 180°C, every time. If you order nothing else on your first visit, order a pizza fritta to share, something light alongside it, and a drink. That’s the table.
Everything on the menu exists in relation to that starting point. The more you eat, the more the logic of it makes sense.
Book a table at Pizza Fritta 180, Crown Street Surry Hills →
Frequently Asked Questions
What should I order at Pizza Fritta 180 on my first visit?
Start with pizza fritta as the centrepiece — the Classica 180 (Buffalo Ricotta, Fior di Latte, Basil, Pepper) shows the purest version of the technique, while the Nonna Rosa (San Marzano, Mild Neapolitan Salami, Buffalo Ricotta) is the most traditionally Neapolitan option. Add something lighter alongside it to balance the table rather than ordering fritta alone, and check with your server what’s on the antipasti and salad selection that night. Order less than you think you need and add more if required.
How many pizza fritta should I order?
Pizza fritta is a sharing dish, so the Italian approach is to order fewer than you might expect and supplement with lighter sides. For two people, one pizza fritta shared plus a couple of sides is a complete meal. For three or four people, two pizza fritta plus a broader spread creates a proper shared table. The interior of a well-made pizza fritta is airy rather than dense, so it’s more satisfying per piece than it appears.
What are the pizza fritta options at Pizza Fritta 180?
There are currently six pizza fritta on the menu at Pizza Fritta 180 in Surry Hills: Classica 180 (Buffalo Ricotta, Fior di Latte, Basil, Pepper), Chiara (San Marzano, Fior di Latte, Basil, Pepper), Nonna Rosa (San Marzano, Mild Neapolitan Salami, Buffalo Ricotta, Fior di Latte, Basil), Elena (Fior di Latte, Pancetta, Buffalo Ricotta, Basil), Pulcinella (San Marzano, Double Smoked Shoulder Ham, Buffalo Ricotta, Fior di Latte, Basil), and Allegra (San Marzano, Hot Salami, Buffalo Ricotta, Fior di Latte, Basil, Chilli). All are fried at exactly 180°C.
Can I order Pizza Fritta 180 for delivery or pickup?
Yes. Pizza Fritta 180 is available for delivery and pickup via HungryHungry, Uber Eats and DoorDash, ordered separately for the Surry Hills and Lane Cove locations. For dine-in, the fritta is served fresh from the kitchen and is best eaten immediately rather than packaged up for later — the crisp shell and steaming interior are at their best in the minutes after frying.
Is the pizza fritta at Pizza Fritta 180 heavy or filling?
Pizza fritta at Pizza Fritta 180 is satisfying but not heavy. Every pizza fritta is fried at exactly 180°C — the temperature at which the dough seals on contact with the oil, trapping steam inside rather than allowing oil to penetrate. The result is a crisp exterior and an airy interior, which means the dish feels substantial without the density that poorly made fried food creates. Most first-timers are surprised by how light it is relative to expectation.