This will hardly surprise you – I’m a big fan of pizza and eat it every week. As I’ve done a few reviews of pizza places around Brisbane now, I’m keen to widen the search for Brisbane’s best pizza. So, just last night I visited the renowned Arrivederci Pizzeria in Milton, which dishes up pizza by the metre. In fact, it’s the only place in Brisbane to do so and it’s been run by the Silvestri family since the early ’90s.
The Atmosphere
We arrived on a Thursday night to a moderately busy restaurant. We were shown to our table against the wall under pictures of Italy, with a traditional Italian red and white checkered table cover. It all felt very homely and welcoming. There were also some black and white photos on the wall of a family, which I’m taking is the Silvestri family.
In 1992, Franco and Rita Silvestri opened Brisbane’s first pizza by the metre restaurant, and in 1999 they sold the business to their son David. The Arrivederci Pizzeria in Milton still has that bygone, family air about it, which I totally love as it feels so cosy and welcoming.
There were a few long, group tables when we were in, and even though it was fairly quiet on this Thursday night (at least for the pizzeria’s standards, as it can get really busy), we witnessed two birthday celebrations. One of the adjoining tables joined in on the birthday songs and they received a thank you for their efforts. This pizza by the metre restaurant is just one of those places that feels so inclusive and relaxed, yet stylish in its own way.
The Service – Arrivederci Pizzeria in Milton
Right from the word go, the ladies were friendly and welcoming and I had a good laugh with one of them. They were also courteous and professional yet they didn’t crowd your table asking you how things were repeatedly. There’s a surefire art to waiting tables and these ladies had it down pat. It really is so nice to write a review where I don’t have anything bad at all to say about a place and the service was no exception. You want to feel relaxed, yet attended to when required and this was achieved perfectly.
The Pizza by the Metre
Now, here’s the big test, as we’ve had some great pizzas in Brisbane at Oche, Felons, Bella Julia Pizzeria and Colle Rosso. I’ve never had pizza by the metre though and as we were only two, I was a little hesitant this would suit us. Thankfully, Arrivederci Pizzeria in Milton also does 25cm and 50cm pizzas, catering for small groups like us. I’d also decided I’d try a few things for this review, so I ordered the cheesy garlic bread for an entrée.
Being 25cm, it was still fairly substantial for an entrée, and as my partner Nikki is gluten and dairy-free, she wasn’t going to help me at all. As for the taste, it was superb – crispy, cheesy and slightly salty – a one-foot cushion of satisfaction.
The base was focaccia-style, definitely different to other pizzas I’ve mentioned earlier and that is a good thing! This might put you off but I implore you to try this before you judge. I could taste the garlic throughout and there was a bit of salt on the cheese, making it extremely difficult for me to stop and leave room for my main, but stop I did.
Our mains came soon after and I ordered the ‘Pizza Romana’. The Romana has tomato base, bocconcini cheese, olives, anchovies and basil pesto. I’m a huge pesto fan and this didn’t disappoint. The base was a little thicker and lighter than the garlic bread, but still in the focaccia-style and I really enjoyed this. Not too soft, nor too firm and just the right amount of topping. In all, these pillows of crispy goodness won me over.
Arrivederci Pizzeria is more of a standout pizza place in that it has its own style. The pizza was a tad salty, but that’s what I was expecting, as it had anchovies and olives on it. I’m coming back baby!
My partner ordered from the vegan pizza section, which is huge by the way! Arrivederci Pizzeria in Milton is not only the only pizza place in Brisbane to serve pizza by the metre, it’s got an extensive vegan pizza selection AND a few vegan pastas. Pretty inclusive for a more authentic Italian restaurant! Anyway, my partner enjoyed her Vegan Funghi pizza. She said it was up there with the best gluten-free pizzas, but Felons takes the cake (or the pizza) in that department, by a nose.
I also tried some of Nikki’s Vegan Funghi and it was tasty. However, there’s just something about real cheese and wheat on a pizza and I was glad I don’t have any intolerances!
In all, we loved the pizza at Arrivederci Pizzeria in Milton.
The Desserts
I’m not really much of a dessert guy but I wanted to try more things to do this review justice. So, in order to include Nikki in the tasting sesh, I ordered the Vegan Sundae, which you can see in the photos is a vase full of indulgence! Nikki just tried the ice cream – to avoid the dairy – and she loved the vegan hazelnut ice cream, as hazelnut has been her favourite since childhood.
I enjoyed the rice chocolate, the broken chocolate chunks, the wafers and the orio wedged in the middle. See my video at the end and you’ll see exactly what I thought of the Vegan Sundae. Other desserts on offer include the Rocky Road Sundae, the Oreo Sundae and there’s a selection of gelato flavours, vegan included.
Drinks
While I’m historically a beer guy, I’ve been getting more into wine lately, particularly with my food. So on this visit I ordered two glasses of the Ten Rocks Pinot Noir from New Zealand, which went down splendidly with my Pizza Romana. As for other drinks, Arrivederci Pizzeria in Milton serves a selection of reds, white wine, rose, bubbles, cocktails, spirits, beer and soft drinks. Beers on tap include the Little Creatures Pale Ale, the malty Birra Moretti (which I’m yet to try), XXXX Gold and the Stone and Wood Pacific Ale.
Soccer
I love that Milton is like a little splash of Europe in Brisbane, as besides dishing up pizza by the metre, Arrivederci Pizzeria in Milton is also a bit of a soccer hub. People come here to watch Brisbane Roar play matches, as well as overseas matches and the restaurant is a bit of a meeting ground for professional Brisbane soccer players. Here they come to fill up and hang out at the restaurant. I actually love this, as soccer is my favourite sport and I miss the days when we lived in Spain and watched matches in bars. You can read about that on my other, world travel blog here (currently in hibernation).
Specials
Specials at this pizza by the metre restaurant include Monday Madness Happy Hour – where all 25cm pizzas are only $16 and all tap beer from 5:30 is only $8, dine in and take away. There’s also Thursday and Friday Happy Hour, where all takeaway pizzas ordered between 3pm and 6pm are 30% off. Finally, there’s ‘Vegan Tuesdays‘, when, on the second Tuesday of every month, all vegan meals are $15. However, this is dine-in only and only after 6pm.
Our Thoughts Overall
As you can probably tell by now (unless you’ve just skipped to this part), I thoroughly enjoyed myself at Arrivederci Pizzeria in Milton. I loved the homely atmosphere that appeared family friendly, relaxed and had a real ’90s Italian vibe about it. The waitresses were also friendly, on the ball and even more importantly, the pizza was excellent. Actually what I love the most about this pizza by the metre restaurant is that the base has its own signature style, and it totally works!
A Few Fast Facts
- Arrivederci Pizzeria is located on Park Road in Milton, next door to the Tuk Tuk Restaurant & Bar (another favourite of ours).
- You can get parking on the street but it’s tricky. We usually park along Gordon Street or one of its side streets, which is a good bet. However, Milton is also well-serviced by its train station and ferries. The station is a 5-minute walk to Arrivederci Pizzeria while the ferry is about 15 minutes walk.
- Arrivederci Pizzeria in Milton has an extensive selection of vegan pizzas and ALL of the pizzas can be done gluten-free, for a small extra charge.
- The restaurant can get particularly packed during soccer matches and events at Suncorp Stadium, so make sure you book ahead during these times!
- As Arrivederci Pizzeria in Milton serves pizza by the metre and has long tables, this place is especially suited to large groups.
- The restaurant also caters for functions. Check out their website to find out more.
Vibe: ’90s Italian family restaurant.
Go for: the pizza, service and atmosphere!
