Andreas Papadakis asserts his carb-king status at Figlia,the pizza-forward sibling to city pasta bar Tipo 00. All sourdough tang and satisfying chew,his Napoli-style pies are so light they could levitate to tables if the waiters ever dropped the ball.

Toppings bring unexpected delights,such as pepperberry sharpening a classic salami and fior di latte. Airy-pocketed focaccia is a showstopper in its own right,the perfect sopper for clams in lemon-spiked chicken broth. Bouncy quail skewers get a lick of sweet-sour balsamic glaze,and fat pucks of gnocchi in tomato-tarragon sauce deserve their place as the menu’s sole pasta.

The dark-hued dining room appeals equally to multi-generational pizza parties and solo diners perched at the central bar – a prime spot to talk low-intervention Italian vino with the clued-in staff.

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Melbourne’s Northern Suburbs

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