Wood-fired Neapolitan pizza in Richmond
St Domenico has been making Neapolitan pizza on Bridge Road since 2015. Not Neapolitan-style — Neapolitan: hand-stretched dough, imported ingredients, and a wood-burning forno that runs hot enough to cook a pizza in under ninety seconds.
What makes it Neapolitan
The dough
Every dough ball is made with Italian "00" flour and hand-stretched to order — never rolled, never pressed by machine. Hand-stretching is what pushes the air out to the rim and leaves the centre thin, which is why the cornicione puffs the way it does.
The tomatoes
San Marzano tomatoes, grown in the volcanic soil on the slopes of Mount Vesuvius. They are lower in acid and sweeter than standard tinned tomatoes, so the sauce needs nothing but a little salt.
The cheese
Imported fior di latte, torn rather than grated. It carries more moisture than pre-shredded mozzarella, which is what gives a Neapolitan pizza its pooled, milky finish.
The forno
Sixty to ninety seconds in a wood-burning oven at 450°C. That heat is the part that cannot be faked — a conventional domestic oven tops out around 250°C and will never produce the leopard-spotted char on the crust.
What to order
The Margherita is the benchmark — San Marzano, fior di latte, basil, and nowhere to hide. The Della Lupa pairs nduja and honey against burrata for a sweet-heat contrast, and the Tartufo leans earthy with mushrooms, truffle oil and parmigiano. For something richer, the Quattro Formaggi runs gorgonzola, pecorino, parmigiano and fior di latte together.
Every pizza on the menu is available on a gluten-free base for an additional $3. Please tell your server about any gluten sensitivity or coeliac requirement when ordering — every care is taken, though the kitchen does handle gluten-containing products.
Visiting us
We are at 428 Bridge Rd, Richmond VIC 3121, open Tuesday to Sunday from 4:30pm and closed Mondays. St Domenico is BYO wine — bring your own bottle, or order from our list of Italian and Australian wines by the glass. Street parking is available on Bridge Road and the surrounding streets.