La Disfida

Carol and Alvin dropped over after an intense day of shopping at DFO. Pizza was decided as the dinner of choice, so off we went to the "real" (read authentic Italian) pizza capital of Sydney, Haberfield. And what better place than the place to eat pizza, according to all the critics.

Food

Haberfield on a Sunday nite is pretty quiets. Most of the restaurants were empty except for this place. We got there at around 6.30 pm on a Sunday nite, and the place was packed. There was a 20 mins wait for a table, and we soon found out why. As we waited, we saw streams and streams of young families leaving with toddlers and babies on tow, and here I thought this was a hip place for young people to hang out. Instead, it's a hip place for locals and young trendy families to hang out.

Needless to say, by the time we were seated, we were ravenous. Luckily, not long after, our entree of Garlic Pizza ($9) arrived. It was thin, hot and bubbly, with a just charred surface. The garlic was subtle but gave it a pleasant smell. We devoured the pizza in no time.

Luckily, our other pizzas arrived not long afterwards. La Disfida is a bit like the pizza nazi. The pizzas only come in 1 size, and with their list of ingredients. There's no make-your-own or half-half combo. They are all ($18), regardless of the ingredients. The bases are all beautifully charred, the base very thin. La Disfida - Tomatoes, mozzarella, olives, smoked mozzarella, ham, capers and anchovies - was too salty for my taste, but it was spicy. My favourite was the Eraclio - Tomatoes, mozzarella, rocket lettuce, ricotta cheese and cracked pepper- nice and simple, with very fresh ricotta and a huge splattering of rocket, added after the pizza has been cooked. Quattro Stagioni - tomatoes, ham, mozzarella, mushrooms, artichokes and olives - was hard to share as the ingredients were divided into quarters.

Rating - 7.5

Atmosphere

There's a huge mural/poster on the wall, showing some sort of fighting. Soccer memorabilia line a shelf, the window displays a pic of the World Cup winning Italian team. The majority of the restaurant is dominated by the bar/coffee area and the wood-fired oven.

We were able to watch the chefs at work. layering ingredients and pushing and pulling pizzas into the huge wood-fired oven. Nothing fancy here, just your cosy neighourhood restaurant.

The place has a very buzzy atmosphere. The only gripe I have is that we were seated near the door and each time someone comes in or not, we were hit with a burst of cold air.

Rating - 2

Service

The waiters were very busy, so we weren't served when we wanted. You have to wave madly to get their attention, but they all seem to know what they are doing and are quite efficient once we got their attention.

Rating - 2.5

C-factor

1 entree and 3 pizzas for $63 'cos they forgot to charge our 1 drink. Ok for above average pizzas at a "happening" joint.

Rating - 1

Brownie Points - 13

Info

109 Ramsay St
Haberfield
NSW 2045
Phone (02) 9798 8299
Website