DELLA NONNA - good pizzas and good italian food

844 Glenferrie Rd, Hawthorn - ph: (03) 9819 6444

I've been to Della Nonna a few times now and I can say it caters for a lot of tastes & occasions.

Whether you are looking for comfort take away food on a week night - their soup of the day ($9) is aways a good call in winter - or for a quick dinner - their Italian pizzas come on a thin, crispy base - Della Nonna offer that reassuring consistency of good food.

My favourite pizza is the 'bada bing' ($19) topped with home-made pork sausage, oregano, dill and a hint of chilli that gives it a good quick.

For main course, I recommend their stake. It comes with a side of mashed potatoes and is a huge serve; can easily be shared by 2 people. I ordered an extra side of spinach, almonds and parmesan salad dressed with balsamic vinaigrette ($9) that ended up being the highlight of the dinner for me. Just really nice, simple flavours put together beautifully.

That's enough said about the food. On the ambiance, the have a cosy, small front room that overlooks their pizzaiollo at work wood-fired oven. The yellow lampshades give the space an intimate feel. Their staff is friendly and service is reasonably fast.

It is certainly worth a visit.

Note: when booking, make sure to ask for a table at the main dining room at the front. Their back courtyard is quite dark and just doesn't have the same atmosphere. It can also get quite cold during winter, albeit their big heaters.