Looking for some uber-tasty sourdough pizza in Brisbane (who isn’t?!). A place that’s been on my radar for a while is Bella Julia Pizzeria in Ashgrove, about 5 kilometres from Brisbane CBD. Having just visited there recently for a Father’s Day lunch, we experienced Italian food and drink in a leafy setting that my family enjoyed. Bella Julia Pizzeria also sells its organic sourdough pizza in Northey Street Markets, which we’ve tried before. More on that later!
The Atmosphere
Bella Julia Pizzeria is set in the Brisbane suburb of Ashgrove, which is spacious and leafy with plenty of parks. There’s a huge park, skatepark included, at the back of Bella Julia’s, which certainly helped us with our twelve-year-old! The restaurant has a nice terrace with a gazebo out front, which is where we ate. Inside, there were a few groups enjoying their food and the atmosphere was lifted by an open-plan kitchen.
We’d booked a table inside, but as it was a nice day, we decided we’d sit under the gazebo (as luckily it wasn’t too busy). Lots of greenery inside and out makes the dining experience pleasant and homely. The restaurant also has a café nextdoor with an espresso machine out front, so if you’re keen for a coffee with your meal, you’re in luck.
The Food – The Best Sourdough Pizza in Brisbane
I already knew Bella Julia Pizzeria produced the best sourdough pizza in Brisbane (at least that I’ve tried), as I’d had it before at Northey Street Markets. So, this time I decided to order the parmigiana di melanzane – which was gluten-free and vegetarian and contained layers of baked eggplant topped with ‘buffalo fior di latte’, crushed tomato, grana Padano and basil. To be honest, this was salty, which I found a little disappointing and the eggplant was chewy, but otherwise it was okay.
Thankfully for this review, Bella Julia Pizzeria lived up to its name with the rest of the food. My mother-in-law had the risotto ai gamberi with carnaroli rice, tiger prawns and lobster bisque. This looked heavenly and the report was it was the best risotto grandma had had. My son had the margarita, which he always has and my father-in-law went with the veggie lovers pizza. He’s usually a meat lover and said this meatless pizza was excellent. It looked it too! Check out my video at the end.
If you can’t eat sourdough pizza in Brisbane because you’re gluten intolerant, the good news is Bella Julia dishes up a gluten-free base that’s mouth-wateringly good, as reported by my partner. She often has trouble getting a decent pizza base, which is not hard to imagine. You’re in good hands here. Check out my ‘gluten-free’ friendly section for further tips on good gluten-free eats.
The Drinks
For drinks, I went with Bella Julia’s tap beer, which I was impressed they were offering. As I’m a beer guy, I was looking forward to the ‘Bella Julia Premium Organic Lager’. However, I also found this disappointing, as the flavour just wasn’t suited to a cold beer. Following this, I ordered a glass of ‘Traveller Wine’ Shiraz, which was from QLD’s Granite Belt region. This was a pleasant drop.
Being a cocktail queen, my mother-in-law ordered the Lemon Cheesecake, which had Galliano, bailey, lemon, butterscotch and shortbread crumble. Unlike me, she was obviously hitting some winners today, as she loved it and it looked like fun. My partner ordered the ‘terrazze della luna’, pinot grigio rose, which she enjoyed, while my son slurped on a generously sized chocolate milkshake.
The Service
We were served by young girls, who were lovely and I had a chat with one of them. I love travelling, culture and different countries so I was intrigued when I heard her Scottish accent. Interestingly she was half Italian half Scottish, so was fluent in Italian and was out here visiting for just a few months. However, when I wanted to order my wine, I had to get her attention, which is a small thing, but it would have been nice if the girls checked in on us. Other than that the service was good.
Northey Street Markets
As I’ve mentioned, Bella Julia Pizzeria also sells its sourdough pizza in Brisbane at the Northey Street Markets, which I’ve written about here. I love these markets, as it’s a real foodie’s haven that’s well worth checking out. Bella Julia pumps out its tasty pizzas – when out and about – from its ‘Italian Stallion Gourmet Pizza Mobile’. You’ll find it at Northey Street Markets every Sunday.
Bella Julia Pizzeria also takes the Italian Stallion to QLD festivals and events and you can even book it for your own private party.
The Best Sourdough Pizza in Brisbane
As you can see, I was a little disappointed by the vegetarian parmigiana and Bella Julia’s tap beer in this review. However, I can attest that the pizza certainly doesn’t disappoint. Additionally, from what I gather from the family, there’s a fair bit more that doesn’t either. Try that risotto! Anyway, I digress….here’s a little bit more information from Bella Julia Pizzeria about how they make their fabulous sourdough pizza in Brisbane:
- The dough is made using only organic flour, organic yeast and filtered water.
- The base is made with a ‘high hydration’ and ‘slow rising’ process (24 – 48 hours), which ensures a thin, light, crispy and healthy pizza base.
- Bella Julia Pizzeria uses Italian San Marzano tomato, which is mixed with organic oregano, basil, EVO oil and fine salt.
- The cheese used is BIO Italian Buffalo Mozzarella.
A Few Fast Facts
- Bella Julia Pizzeria is open from Tuesday to Sunday, from 5pm until late.
- Bella Julia Café is open from Tuesday to Sunday, 6am to 2pm.
- The Italian Stallion pizza truck is available for booking. Check out their website for more info.
- Bella Julia Pizzeria gets popular, so book a table to ensure you don’t miss out.
- The restaurant has a decent kids’ menu with pizza, dino nuggets and chips, gnocchi, bolognese pasta and ice cream.
- Bella Julia’s has $15 gnocchi night every Tuesday from 5pm, dine in and take away.
- There’s plenty of free parking nearby.
Vibe: suburban homeliness.
Go for: the pizza and risotto.
