The pizza at I Carusi is the real deal. Simple and too quality toppings grace lovingly made perfect thin bases. I always wish I had room for dessert but rarely do. The salmon mascarpone chives and roe number is my all time fave. Decor is classic and down to earth, service is friendly and professional. I will return time and time again.
Great pizza! Will definitely be back to work my way through all the different pizzas.
I've been frequenting I Carusi for over a decade.
Consistently excellent food. Unfortunately, service has gone downhill - condescending and forgetful staff.
I'll keep coming back for that pizza though. And for the quirk.
love the pizza base best ever and toppings yummmy
Hubby and I love this pizza place. The food is always yummy (what's not to love about chocolate dessert pizzas??) and the service is great. Don't tell everyone though or it'll be too crowded to ever get a table!!!
Nothing more to say, they are just good, what else?
Absolutely sensational, authentic pizzas, with delicious simple but the freshest of fresh ingredients! Yummo! Thanks Tristan and clan
So delicious! We get there as often as we can! The best pizza!!! And leave room for a dessert pizza too! YUM!
The best....Before gourmet pizza was cool these guys had it nailed.
Old school little place with amazing pizza! Must go!
Amazing pizza and such an authentic Italian atmosphere! Will defiantly be coming back
Can't get enough of this pizza, every other pizza is just disappointing after eating at Carusi
Roberto Marcello Crupi
+5
Just like a rare gem is hard to find, so is trying to find a pizza better thsn I Carusi. I should know, I drive all the way from Elwood to Brunswick and have done for years now. Staff always friendly, makes it a winning formula.. see you soon :-)
Best pizza, great service and big glasses of wine! Italy in a hidden corner of Brunswick !
Delicious little gem which was jammed packed
Best pizza in Melbourne!!! Always fresh and authentic. If you haven't eaten here yet, then get on over there and try them out. It wont let you down
Llewellyn VanillaSky Redenbach
+5
Real pizza is hard to find let alone real service!, this place has plenty of both!!!
Amazing quality and definitely going to go back.
We had the chilli prawn pizza (hot!) but so so delicious and the prosciutto pizza along with the garlic focaccia and the salad (can’t remember which one). We definitely over ordered but due to the fluffy ness of the dough and how fast everything was we were able to eat most, at the rest was out nicely into a pizza box for later.
staff were very friendly and accommodating, service was quick- had a sense of a family owned local restaurant but with amazing quality.
no complaints at all. Garlic focaccia and the chilli prawn pizza are must trys- garlic pizzas can often be a bit bland but their one is far from bland!
See you again soon I Carusi
Pretty good gluten free bases but they only come in the small size. Reasonably priced. Good mix of topping options with a few different ones from the usual suspects. The Genovese with pesto, peppers and proscuitto is particularly good and their four cheese pizza has gorgonzola! Service is friendly and the interior looks nice, if a little small, although I've only ever had takeaway.
I would recommend this place for a romantic dinner. The pizzas are delicious and the atmosphere is nice and laid back. It delivers on what they promise.
Gluten free pizza's at this little joint are amazing! Thin crispy base that has a little doughy chew to it without being undercooked. Lots of great topping options and I'm really excited to try them all. The 4 cheese pizza you could really taste the gorgonzola making it one of the best cheese pizza's I've ever had! The Genovese was also very tasty although the prosciutto was just popped on top of the pizza so you had to tear it up yourself to proportion it to each slice which made sharing the pizza a little more difficult. The gluten free base only comes in the small size which is quite small. The pizza's are all pretty cheap though so its still good value but if we'd known we would have ordered more for our takeaway order because we were left a bit hungry.
Authentic Italian pizza place unobtrusively tucked away in Brunswick serving thin based crispy pizza with fresh produce. Had the speciale with rocket and Parmesan salad. Very yum
A tried and true favourite! This place has been around for years, and while it may not be a busy as it once was (I remember when you couldn't manage to Get a table without booking weeks ahead), the atmosphere, and delicious food remains the same. Attentive staff, crispy based pizza with quality toppings, generous portions and BYO to boot. This place is worth a revisit, or a special trip.
Very cute and Italian driven shop in Brunswick East serving food and drinks.
Had a tasting of their top range pizzas between four of us and they were quite nice. I would recommend to come down and try it out.
Nice crispy bases and authentic style pizzas. A good amount of sauce. I had the fungi pizza and added olives, one thing to note is I thought for a fungi pizza it needed more mushrooms. For dessert we have the calzone with mixed chocolate and strawberry and this was delicious! The flavour of ice cream though was a little odd and I'd recommend changing suppliers. Overall nice pizza though!
Traditional pizza as if I had eaten from a restaurant in Italy. The dough and tomato really caught my attention and reminded me of Italy.
Some people enjoy a lot of toppings but traditionally Italian pizzas have bigger toppings and not so much of it, just the way I like it.
Pizza is great so lots of points there but it's cramped and loud plus, almost uncomfortably warm inside.
I didn't overly enjoy the fact that I felt like I was sharing my meal and conversation with the people on the tables next to us. The staff were a not overly friendly either.
But... If you are looking for good pizzas with a variety choice then this place is definitely worth a try
Authentic delicious Italian near the very end of Lygon St in Brunswick East. Shared the lasagne, caprese salad and two pizzas (garlic prawn and genovese) with two others and was satisfied. If you want somewhere that is unpretentious, authentic and absolutely delicious look no further.
They say good can take you back - this place does!! The lasagna is mouthwatering and reminds me of being a child eating my nonnos lasagna. Just an amazing, amazing dish. The pizzas are great too!
It's very old school but it works. Love it, could eat that lasagna every night!
It's terrible. Don't go.
Why ... Because I want to keep it all to myself. Cracking place. Brilliant food. Wine in those old tumbler glasses .. Love that. Service brilliant.. Simple, polite ...
Pls don't go I don't want you all to ruin this place :)
Went to I Carusi for the first time last night. It was empty when we got there at around 18.30 but quickly filled up and overall had a really good ambiance. The pizza was outstanding. The thing that makes I Carusi stand out is the crust. I've never eaten an entire pizza, crust and all, in my life and last night was the first time. It was a pleasure too - really tasty dough, light and not too imposing and well cooked - not all flimsy and bready. The only reason I didn't give this a higher score is the payment options. Still being a cash only business is not good enough in 2016. Fair enough that you've got an ATM a couple of doors down but you also get charged $2.50 to use it. It won't stop me going again though and I'd hazard a guess that these pizzas travel well and would make a great takeaway option too.
Great traditional Italian pizza place. Love that you can get 2 sizes so it will suit most budgets. Their pizza selection uses very fresh and high quality ingredients and the bases are thin and slightly charred. The service is friendly. If they took card it would be a 5/5!
Really nice hidden gem. Authentic style pizzas. Their salmon with mascarpone cheese & salmon roe use to be my favorite. Their other pizzas were great too. It use to be even more nicer with really high grade ingredients however last time I felt that it was a bit under my expectations. However still great place. Nice charming country style interior. Use to be a french guy worked as a waiter was a bit too much in his talking & his jokes were hard to understand. Recently I found it got much busier. Anyway my rating 4.2*
Went here today for the first time after reading some good feedback. The pizza was authentic and tasted fantastic. The restaurant ambience and customer service was also on point, friendly and attentive. Will be coming back soon!
Best and most authentic pizza I've had outside of Italy, in a relaxed setting. They do takeaway too, well worth the drive!
Try it out, you won't regret it. Just don't make it so busy I can't come anymore!
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This place was not bad but there were a few things they could improve on. The pizzas have thickish and crunchier bases, not in the chewy Neapolitan style I prefer, but that's a personal preference. Had the prosciutto rocket and parmesan pizza which was a little weird as they cooked it with the prosciutto on which you don't normally see, so the prosciutto was crispy. The prosciutto, pesto, roast capsicum and goats cheese pizza was delicious - and the prosciutto was added to this one after cooking, which was better. Also enjoyed the salmon mascarpone chives pizza - generous serve of smoked salmon on this and great flavours. The service was a little odd (explaining the sections of the menu, which didnt need explanation) but friendly enough. I didn't think it was fair to pay $7.50 per bottle byo when they didn't have any wine glasses though - you drink from the same glasses as your water glass (which is a latte glass). Overall was quite tasty and nice enough but wouldn't rush back as the pizzas are a similar price to other places with better pizzas and atmosphere (and wine glasses)
Great little pizza shop that you will go back many times. Beautiful, fresh & always tasty that makes me drive when i need a pizza fix love it !!
Excellent quality with great personal service. A gem of the North that serves the most amazing chocolate calzones..... Stock standard pizza/pasta fare but dine with pride and to a very very good standard. Work a drive and the price.
I won't be unreasonably mean for two reasons. The pizza was really great and I am a lady. Let's stick to the facts. If our table, its contents and patrons were set alight, the waitress wouldn't have pissed on us, let alone taken our drinks order. Fact. But yeah, the pizzas are pretty damn good.
Took my boyfriend here for his birthday on a Tuesday night. Was really lovely and chilled...lots of locals. The vegetarian pizza was yummy and lasagna apparently delicious. Make sure you try their dessert pizza with the white chocolate. The staff were so friendly and even met my request to put a birthday candle on the dessert pizza.
All in all - a very cute little find in an unexpected spot!
Went here a few weeks ago with a group of friends. Got 5 pizzas to share, all delicious, the salmon was a highlight for me. I love that its BYO and super relaxing and cosy environment. Also had the panna cotta which was AMAZING
We got three different pizzas, after hearing good reviews.
Nice thin base, and the cheese was utterly superb. Fresh ingredients. Though the toppings were lovely, there wasn't any strong flavour. I would have enjoyed either more tomato on the base or more of the delicious cheese. A bit too much pepper, and it would be nice if the olives were pitted. Ham was too salty. I thought it was a little overpriced, so close to being great.
Cosy atmosphere, casual layout, nice and friendly waitress, very quick cooking / waiting time.
Been a regular for a while at I carusi Always consistent and fresh top quality ingredients Desserts are worth the trip on there own Wish they delivered on some cold nights lol
I just has the best pizza
Base perfectly cook... Not soggy and saggy like a noted Lygon street place
Simple fresh topping
Just as pizza should be
Well done guys
By far the most delicious pizza I've ever had . The feel of the restaurant and the Italian vibe is just awesome. Great service and definitely be back
One of the best pizzas in Melbourne hands down. Food is amazing and the service is top notch. Do yourself a favour and visit I Carusi and you will not be disappointed
Definatly Melbournes best pizza with the best pizzas ive ever ate. Couldnt have better sevice. Hands down better than the pizza shop down the road.
Rate 110/100 Always go to this resturant and never let down
Do yourself a favour, this place is an institution and rightly so! Great food.
I forgot about this place for a few years, so I've recently introduced my boyfriend to their Pizza's. We can't stop coming back!
Napoletana, Capricciosa, Genovese, Pizza for a Friend, Salmone and Gamberi Piccante are all favourites for us! Order a rocket salad and a couple of beers and you'll be set.
Sounds like they had a dodgy waiter for while; the lady who always serves us is fine. The comment about the table next to the front door is accurate though; not a good spot to sit in during Melbourne's winter...
I Carusi is all about their ingredients. It is not fussy or fancy – just how authentic Italian pizza was intended. The service is outstandingly friendly and our waitress seemed just as enthusiastic about our pizza choices as we were, admitting that the Alla Moda Di Mario is her go-to. After eyeing off an adjacent tables white chocolate and peach dessert pizza, my only regret is not having enough room to fit dessert in. There’s always next time, and there will be a next time.
All the pizzas looked amazing, and everyone really enjoyed them.
So good. It's a small and noisy restaurant. I've always found the service good on many visits. The pizza is incredible. Anyone who tells you different is an idiot.
Consistently great pizza!. Our family favourite, always enjoy perfectly cooked pizzas. There's a good range with lots of interesting ingredients, my picks are the Genovese & the Gamberi. Yum! A warm & welcoming restaurant, no fuss, just the good old home style stuff.
Great pizza. Very good pizza
ONE WORD: AMAZING. This is place is to die for...I love the food a true authentic Italian food.
Big Eyes For A Big Tummy
+4.5
Awesome pizzas but the service a little temperamental. First half hour was wonderful service but afterwards we felt like it was rude of us to ask for water, extra cutlery set that wasn't already set up, etc, and it felt like napkins were just thrown at the table when we asked for them. It was busy but still!
I have been a little put off by the bad reviews but we moved into the neighborhood and had to give it a go. We had the best night! The service was amazing from the very friendly waitress, she was helpful and so great to deal with. Service aside the pizzas were the BEST I have had outside of Italy! This place has quickly become our go to place! Love love love!
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Great pizza but.... I went to I Carusi a couple of nights ago. I made a reservation because it was for a special occasion and we were travelling from across town. When we arrived, the first impression we got was that it was terribly understaffed. After I managed to get the attention of one of the staff, we were pointed (not guided, not given menus) to our 'reserved table'. I was quite miffed because despite booking ahead of time, we were given THE WORST TABLE IN THE ENTIRE RESTAURANT. It was right in the doorway, about 2m in front of the entrance with less than 0.5m space between us and the next table for the general thoroughfare. I was especially bemused because they seated us there despite there being a few free tables in better spots. We waited about an hour trying to make the best of the situation before we asked to move, because at that point neither our food had arrived nor had any other customers taken the free tables.
When we got our food, it was great. We got the mario and the napoletana - both delicious. The wine and general atmosphere of the restaurant was good. As we were looking for somewhere low key to celebrate, this would have been perfect except for the fact that the place was understaffed and not once did I feel I was receiving any kind of service. They even made us wait for the bill even though it had quietened down significantly at that point. I never think to dine and dash but this time I was VERY tempted to.
Overall, I thought the food was great, but I think it's better to take away food here. I got the impression that the diners got bad service because the staff were making the take away orders their priority.
Very impressed. Love the pizza. Fantastic service.
Wow. Usually I can't eat when I've had MD, but this pizza is so good I ate a whole one in about 10 mins! Amazing!
Best pizza in Melbourne. This is the best thin crust pizza you will find in Melbourne. Good quality ingredients, healthy servings of cheese and meat and wonderful olives. The dessert is also magnificent. This place is a must.
LOVE the pizzas but.... Love the pizzas and salads, however service is rude, arrogant and unfriendly. I never dine in because the head waiter is rude, and so arrogant. I do enjoy takeaway very often though :)
My favourite pizza place. LOVE this place. Pizza for a friend is my fav pizza and the choc / strawberry calzone is the BEST dessert to finish off a great night! MUST TRY!!
Delicious and gorgeous classic pizza restaurant. Loved this place. Came on a busy Saturday night. Was seated immediately. Great atmosphere, love the cozy classic feel of the place. Suprised by review that service was bad. My sister and I found the service professional, friendly and attentive which was amazing given how busy the place. Pizza was delicious and came out quickly and pipping hot from the oven. We enjoyed the the gorgonzola and sauteed leek pizza (no26) and the Caprese. Lovely favoursome tomato base. Thin but not wafer thin bases. Just right IMO. Also enjoyed the dessert mixed chocolate calzone with fresh strawberies. All was reasonably priced too. Great that we can still BYO wine. Really couldn't fault the place. Will definitely be back.
Love this place. I live just down the road from this place and feel so lucky.
beautiful food, lots of choice. fresh ingredients which are put together well and simply.
lovely service too.
you must try the white chocolate and peach dessert pizza...to die for!! :)
Simple and perfect! Great pizzas
What an outstanding place this is!! I have not gone past No 26 (leek and gorgonzola) yet - and I probably won't for a while. Fresh ingredients. My husband loves this place too. Love that they serve wine in regular water glasses, traditional Italian style. Do not miss the dark chocolate and pear pizza!! Served with what was the best vanilla bean ice cream I've ever had.
We absolutely love this place, we have become regulars being our once week treat for dining out. The pizzas are beautiful and we have to always order the chocolate pizza which is gone in in 2 mins ! The service is always wonderful and quick. Defiinately the best pizza place in Melbourne , you never feel bloated or tired after eating it which is defiinately all ticks for me .
Simple, tasty Italian. Make sure you sit in the front section. White choc and peach dessert is good.
After eating many pizzas throughout Italy these are definitely the most authentic in melbourne after trying many different places in melbourne on our pizza quest! Yum
Yuuuummm!! Really authentic, tasty pizzas, great base, great topping. Service.. Meh. But two very enthusiastic thumbs up!!
Quality pizza!. Well cooked, great flavour, nice atmosphere. Will go back.
Fabulous friendly & professional wait staff. Gorgeous atmosphere & DELISH food. Brought me back to Italy!!
Great service! Awesome pizza and yummy desserts!! Highly recommend!
Went here recently, pizza was excellent, dessert pizza was lovely will definitely be back!!
The pizza here is absurdly good. It rivals L’Antica in Naples, and I recommend it to anyone. Pizzas cost about the same as Crust Pizza, which makes me wonder how the latter survives. Five stars.
Really delicious pizzas, fantastic service and surprisingly good wine! If you sit in the front part of the restaurant the atmosphere is buzzing, you can enjoy viewing the kitchen staff twirling out pizza bases and bantering with the guests. Feels very easy, like you're having dinner in a friends front lounge. Really good little spot for pizza!!
Highly recommended. Both the Margherita and the Dark Chocolate with Strawberry dessert pizza are to die for.
Went here for a date night and had a really nice time. Good food, great service (the two waitresses were so lovely), lots of families and a great local restaurant to support. Could use some wine glasses but byo is great and a little smokey inside from the pizza oven but overall very cosy and a great experience so will be back
We came in after closing as we had just gotten of the plane and they still served us truly great staff and great pizza would recommend
Best pizza I’ve ever had, so impressed with the service, food and people. 100 percent would recommend
Really loved this small, cosy family pizza restaurant. Really delicious pizza and generous serving on the prosciutto starter!
What an amazing place. I really felt like I was in a family pizzeria in Naples. There are others that claim to be the best pizza in Melbourne but they don't even come close when compared to these guys. Started with olives, great Italian wine, made by their family in Abruzzo, and silky garlic focaccia. Then amazing pizza. Finished with rich and satisfying pizzetta. My wife had the tiramisu and couldn't keep the smile of her face. So full. What a great night and such value for money. We will be back again and again.
Great food and atmosphere, pizza was fantastic along with the wine. I will definitely be back
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