A new pizzeria has quietly become one of Thornbury's most compelling dining destinations. Pizza Elettrica is serving up 15-inch — that's 38-centimetre — rounds of cold-fermented dough loosely inspired by the New York pizza tradition, wrapped in a setting that leans hard into kitschy 1980s Australian suburban charm.
Big Pizzas, Bold Toppings
The sheer scale of what arrives at the table is part of the appeal. These are not delicate, minimalist rounds — they are unapologetically large, and the temptation to finish every last slice is apparently near-impossible to resist. Yet despite the generous proportions, the kitchen keeps things in balance: the excess of size is met with careful calibration of flavour in the toppings.
The must-order is the "Peppi", a pepperoni pizza that functions as a confident entry point into the menu — and the recommendation is to add the chilli-laced hot honey on top. Equally noteworthy is a pork sausage and mushroom pizza that carries a gentle hum of fennel seed. That pie also showcases what is quietly the venue's most important asset: its red sauce. Simple by design, it is nothing more than tomatoes blended with confit garlic, oregano and salt — and it is quietly extraordinary for it.
Beyond the classics, the menu ventures into more adventurous territory. The Jupiter combines tomato, mozzarella, 'nduja, stracciatella, basil, hot honey and pecorino into a single, layered experience. The Light & Tangy takes a different direction entirely, building on a sour cream base with snipped chives, pickled red onion, mozzarella and finely sliced potato. There is also a lemon kosho ricotta option topped with marinated zucchini, basil, ricotta salata, pepita and charred spring garlic salsa finished with olive oil — a pizza that reads more like a seasonal vegetable dish that happens to sit on dough.
The Dough and the Details
Underpinning every pizza is a dough that is cold-fermented for 36 hours before it ever sees the oven. That extended process develops both flavour and texture, giving the base its character and chew. It is the kind of detail that separates a good pizza from a memorable one.
The venue itself adds to the experience. Timber columns, a retro aesthetic and a drinks fridge labelled the "beveraginos" contribute to an atmosphere that is self-aware and fun without being tiresome. The wine list matches the mood: lightly chilled crunchy reds sit alongside fizzy, slightly silly pet-nats, with big dry Chianti available for those who want something more serious.
Dine In or Take Away
Pizza Elettrica operates as both a dine-in restaurant and a takeaway option, giving the Thornbury neighbourhood flexible access to its oversized offerings. Whether eating at one of the timber-flanked tables inside or carrying a steel tray home, the proposition is the same: more pizza than you think you can manage, and then somehow just one piece left.
For a suburb that already has strong opinions about food, Pizza Elettrica is making a case for itself with substance rather than style alone — though it has plenty of both.
