Review Ladro - Fitzroy

Yum! The prawn on my fettuccine pasta was the freshest Iv ever eaten. The pizza: delicious! The salad yum. Great ambiance and Fantastic service. We really enjoyed ourselves

Literally one of the best pizzas I’ve ever had! Honestly reminded me of my childhood visiting family in Italy. Authentic, delicious and reasonably priced. CAN’T WAIT TO COME BACK

Best gluten free pizza base we have ever had! It looked so much like the wheat base that I had to call and double check (we have a coeliac in the house). The pizza was so yummy. 10/10! Thank you so much.

Lauro is still serving great food 2 years on (updated review). Everything was tasty and served quickly. The gnocchi was light, the dish was full of flavour - great comfort food for a cold night. The desserts are simple but taste great. The wine selection is a bit limited but the selection is still great.

Didn’t really get a chance to experience. Spent $10 on an Uber at 9pm (said they close at 11pm). To see that they’re closed? Really need to update their hours as it definitely says open til 11pm. They had 5 tables and some who still had menus. Won’t be back.

Staff and food were both immaculate 👏 loved every minute and bite, worth every penny !!

Great food. Pizzas were beautiful, pasta really good but not overly big, deserts amazing. Good service too.

Enjoyable Italian ... Exceptional service

overpriced food and wine, food small quantity ate again when i got home, I hate a restaurant that asks want to start with sparkling water, like you are not charging for it, what in Melbourne tap water is pure

An Italian feast awaits this spring at Grand Hyatt Melbourne’s award-winning restaurant, Collins Kitchen, with Melbourne’s legendary pizza institution, Ladro, returning for a three-month residency.<br/><br/>Taking up residency until Thursday, 28 November 2019, the specially curated menu on offer is a creative collaboration between the Ladro and Collins Kitchen culinary teams and features authentic Italian cuisine made from the freshest locally sourced produce.<br/><br/>Along with the classic wood-fire pizza flavours that first put Ladro on the map, guests can also indulge in some authentic and moreish Italian dishes.<br/><br/>We loved the dish of pumpkin ravioli with burnt butter, made daily in-house. It was absolutely stunning. For something heartier the Wood-roasted spring chicken is like a hug from nonna. Full of flavour and served with rich napoli, garlic, olives and basil.<br/><br/>The Lamb tomahawk was similarly delicious. Cooked to absolute perfection and served with crushed green peas, fresh mint, goat’s curd and a slice of lemon.<br/><br/>A visit to “Ladro Checks In” would of course be incomplete without one of their amazing pizzas. We fell in love with the porcini e gorgonzola pizza . Wonderfully thin and light pizza base was slathered with Fior di latte, gorgonzola, porcini mushrooms, pangrattato, basil and parsley. Simply amazing!<br/><br/>Keeping true to its reputation for indulgent desserts, Collins Kitchen’s famous dessert station will also be turned into a decadent “La Gelateria” bar. Expect mouth-watering desserts including Sicilian cannoli, bomboloni Italian donuts, tiramisu and our personal favourite, Baked lemon ricotta cheese cake.

Ultra-thin crust pizza full of flavour in a stripped-down semi-industrial environs (but on a cold winter night, lovely and toasty). First time I've been back in probably 10+ years. Tastes are great - but talk about tight with the toppings. <br/><br/>Gamberi - six slices, six (small) lemon garlic prawns and razor thin zucchini. Porcini and gorgonzola - forgot until now that it was supposed to have gorgonzola. Scout a little more boisterous in terms of topping as this was the only tomato-based pizza. I hate 'overtopped' pizza as it's overkill - but sad to say this was a little too little on our plates - especially as around $22-$25 per pizza.

A beautiful little pocket restaurant, very friendly and vibrant staff, food was beautiful and well presented. The restaurant is beautifully lit just enough, located well on the main road.

A cool and cozy Italian restaurant located on lively Gertrude St. Great food and ambience, love the seating overlooking the street - worth and checking out. Will need to come back for Brunch!

Will come back for:<br/>+ Polenta chips<br/>+ Badabing Pizza<br/>+ Cannoli<br/><br/>Popped by to check out the pizzas here for dinner and was pleasantly surprised. First off, the polenta chips were great. Crispy on the outside but soft and fluffy inside and delightfully moorish. We had the badabing pizza which was great. Great doughy base but not too thick with super deliciously chunks of pork sausages (great with a touch of the pickled chilli sauces). We also had the grilled chicken breast which was just ok (chicken cooked well although the flavours could be amped up a bit). And for sweets, we had the a ricotta filled cannoli (this was great, not too sweet and a super crunchy shell) and a panacotta. Service was prompt and friendly. A good and solid Italian eatery option that will satisfy your pizza cravings.

Ordered the potatoes and badabing. Neither enjoyable and both very dry. Did not enjoy the base which is very dry and rigged. Toppings sub par.

We are glad to have finally paid a visit to this true Melbourne icon. For more than 15 years, Ladro has offered Melbournians an authentic taste of Italy with their impeccable Roman pizzas and indulgent classical desserts.<br/><br/>Today, they are celebrating their 15th birthday by popping up at the Grand Hyatt Melbourne.

Friends booked this place because they always come here. Walked in to a old school styled interior. Very nice and cozy feeling. We ordered a bottle of white wine, so refreshing on a hot day!<br/><br/>Pizza was thin crust which is to my like I wasn't the one placing the order but I think we had the anchovy one and a vego tomato based one. Salad was lovely as well. Ordered the doughnut for dessert. Probably need to go to gym now to work it off. Service was attentive and friendly.

I was gonna give 3 stars but my friend was like ‘nah it’s defs a 2’. I walked out of the restaurant and i pondered “why did I just spend $22.50 on an entire pizza and yet I still feel hungry?”. #shouldagonetodominoes the crust was thin and crusty (love when the crust is crusty) but there were only about 2 tomatoes on my pizza and both vegans found the cheese flavourless. Basically, overpriced. HOWEVER magnificent bathroom! Enjoyed lathering moisturiser to detract from my garlic breath

Sad to say worst san Daniele pizza I’ve ever had, strange to me that it had no sauce on it. Was quite bland and oily. Mum enjoyed her dark hot chocolate. Will give the place another chance though and try something else as I liked the vibe and staff were nice.

Dropped in here late on a Thursday evening for a quick dinner. The food was great with the main event, the pizza, deftly cooked and tasty! However, I found the service to be a bit average and the prices a little steep. The venue itself has a relaxed and casual feel, but does lend itself to becoming quite loud at times. Worth a try for a casual night out!

I am a long time Ladro Prahran patron and your sulumi pizza has been a staple of my life since for many years.<br/><br/>I have returned back to Melbourne after living abroad and naturally couldn’t wait to come back to get my pizza fix. I am sad and really disappointed to say it was a really horrible and bad experience.<br/><br/>The pizza was not the soft and lovely dough it was hard and brittle and the food all came out Mediocre at best. Everything we ordered was not nice, both pizza and the entree lacked flavour. I was really disappointed and wish I chose lazer pig instead, especially after I know how much I loved dining with you guys it really seamed you had dropped the game.<br/><br/>Not only was the pizza not up to standard the service to so rude the waiter was un happy and dude and when we went to pay just left us to use the card machine and put through our own transactions, who even allows that?!<br/><br/>I feel like I wasted my money on Friday night and I really would struggle to return, so I hope my feedback helps improve your product and your service to what I know and I loved in the Greville street days

Long time fan of Landro, ended post a visit tonight. Beef ragu gnocchi was a oily mess. Beef was lacklustre and if anything, more mince from Coles than ragu. For $27 I expect more. Amongst so many great restaurants Ladro stands out for the wrong reason. Stay away from pasta & stick to pizza.

We really felt like pizza before going to see some live music.<br/>We had parked our car on Greville Street and Ladbro was the first pizzeria we saw.<br/>We were seated straight away - outside. It was a great Melbourne day/night so more than happy to be seated here.<br/>We received menus almost immediately and our drinks & entrees were very prompt. The waiter taking our order however, could have been abit more lively... Made no attempt to make conversation or even smile!<br/>Our pizzas took alittle longer than expected - however the resturant was crowded and also food delivery drivers were in & out picking up food.<br/>Overall; i would return the food was great and it had to be the best chinotto i have ever had!

A good place for good thin crust pizzas with very compact seating. This place offers gluten free and normal pizzas with delicious toppings that won't make you feel heavy. <br/><br/>We enjoyed our tasty Porcini and Gorgonzola and Pescatore seafood pizzas, which came in a 6-slice portion size. The thin, crispy base doesn't detract from the flavours, a job well done. <br/><br/>They brought out the pizzas unsliced with a pizza cutter. We were puzzled whether this is supposed to add to the experience but suffice it to say neither of us will earn a living from our pizza cutting skills. They offered us a second cutter but I'm sure it's the user not the tool that will speed up the process.<br/><br/>Friendly and efficient service in a simple, modern and functional space, Ladro is worth checking out in this competitive neighborhood.

Had dinner here a few weeks ago. Staff were not friendly and looked as if we were bothering them by being there. Ordered pizzas and gnocchi. Pizza was ok, reasonably good as compared to a lot of places in Melbourne but the gnocchi was just tasteless and small for a main. We weren’t even full after the meal and headed down to Belle’s to have some fried chicken. At least we finished off the night having a happy stomach from the fried chicken.

Love sitting in windows facing the street! The polenta chips and the salad with peas were my favourites. The pizza was outstanding. A sip on a chinotto. Great service

Lovely dinner at Ladro yesterday nigh. We started w fried bocconcini of mozzarella,polenta chips and fried calamari. For main we had salmon and AMAZING steak vote 10/10 ! Good job guys!

Had a lovely Saturday night dinner at Ladro this weekend.  Booked in advance a table for two. We were seated at a well sized table at the back of the restaurant by our friendly waitress.<br/><br/>Not feeling like pizza, Mr B and I ordered a couple of entrees and a couple of mains to fill us up for the night.  For starters we went for the Polenta Chips and the Salumi Board.  The polenta chips were creamy and tasty.  The salumi board was ok. The meats on offer were nothing too fancy, and maybe a little bland.  For main Mr B ordered the Lamb Ragu Gnocchi and I had the Lemon & Pea Risotto with Green Tea seasoned Scallops.  The gnocchi was silky and melted in your mouth. the lamb cooked beautifully and the tomato sauce rich and vibrant.  My risotto was the highlight of the night, with a beautiful scallop texture and flavour, paired with the fresh zestiness of the risotto.  Very enjoyable.<br/><br/>Overall the experience was lovely.  The food was good and completely enjoyable.  Next time I need to try the pizzas! The restaurant vibe was busy, but relaxed and the service prompt and friendly.  Recommended for a family function.

Went to Ladro for a catch-up with close friends...pretty much from the moment we got in it was obvious the staff were not happy...we were told on at least 3 occasions they were understaffed which is why we had to ask numerous times for things, got attitude and in the end the bill was wrong, we sent it back, really they didn't care, we could have left without paying and I don't think they'd have noticed lucky for them we were honest. The food was really good though...but unlikely to return.

Been here twice now and both times impressed by the consistency in quality of food even during busy hours. The staff are friendly and provide great service. Both pizzas and pastas are a must try! The sides are a delight as well. Will definitely mark down as one of the go to Italian places!

While working in Prahran, Ladro was definitely a favourite of ours. The drinks are always good, great food and ambiance. The staff really do make this place and would highly recommend the burger - it will most definitely stop any hangover from occurring 🙌🏽

Great service for an early Sunday dinner. The mushroom risotto with chestnut butter was divine, as was the day's special of herb crusted lamb loin (so tender!) with caponata. Could take or leave the donuts - they were a bit too dry and dense for my liking. But will definitely be back!

Went here for a friends birthday a couple of weeks ago and absolutely loved it. The food was delicious and the staff were super friendly. This wasn't the first time I've been and it definitely won't have been the last!

Came to this place to meet up with a hens party and enjoyed the entrees & mains (pizza) was happy to see guests in our party having their drink choices accommodated for (a sorbet mocktail turned into a cocktail, additional costs obviously). Only 2 drawbacks were; as we were a private party we were in the rear of the building which was like a hot box despite a fan in the room and 2nd minor issue the water served to our table was warm, albeit filtered via a tap but still warm so not as refreshing as it could have been given how hot the private party guest area was. Food fantastic, Service great, Staff amazing, location great parking and trams available. Would recommend

Great trendy dining room and location . Delicious, tasty pizza, large serves, great base. The donut dessert was also very tasty. Highly recommended. Return visit March 2019. The pizza was nice and the sauce was lovely with great flavour. Excellent quality ingredients but unfortunately it wasn’t great. The base lacked crunch & there was hardly any crust. It was good just not very memorable. A big step down from my last visit a few years ago.

It has been a long time between visits but sadly tonight did not match earlier experiences. First despite making a booking early in the week we were initially ushered OUTSIDE ...to the courtyard and just outside the toilet!!! The restaurant meanwhile was empty!  I requested we be seated inside and we were curtly ushered back in.  The pasta special was a small serve despite its near $30 mark . NO bread on our table but we watched other tables that were seated provided with some.  My Afogato arrived  with a shot of coffee and ice cream ..no one asked what liquor i would like and so none was provided. My short iced coffee was not the Afogato i was expecting ( BUT i was still charged for it...should have just had coffee)  Very disappointing and nothing like the service i had experienced in the past.  Too many other good places that do look after us so we will be back to 1889 or Supermaxi next time

Yum! Thanks Ladro, you've done it again! Fabulous pizza, attentive staff and a great environment. Especially great wine list at the moment too

Superb, friendly and attentive service, catering brilliantly for our kids, which made the evening much easier. On top of delicious, traditional feeling pizza, plus some decadent bombolini, with a decent wine list, this is a well recommended pizza stop

Calamari 5/5. Badabing pizza 4/5. Bomboloni 3/5. Things were going pretty well at my first time and we had just finished our coffee when a staff member came up to us and informed us curtly that our table was required because it was busy due to the Gertrude St Projection Festival and someone was waiting to be seated. I raised an eyebrow as he scooted away without so much as waiting for an acknowledgement. I'm quite happy to give up my table at somewhere as welcoming as Ladro. As a table of two, we had spent more per person than the table of eight next to us who had seated earlier than us. Yet they weren't requested to move on. It had been a good experience up to this point. Well, other than when that same clumsy and indelicate staff member had hit me in the side of the head with someone's jacket that he had attempted to hang on the wall next to me and proceeded to bump into my chair twice on the way past. No apologies. So it's without apologies that I rate Ladro 2/5. Sometimes it's that little things that count. Like making your customers who might have made the trip across town feel like guests in your own home, rather than unceremoniously shoo them out when they become such a burdensome imposition.

Me and my family's go to pizza place, it really is the best in Melbourne. Just getting the plain Margherita with delicious mozzarella and basil gives it such an Italian authentic taste. The restaurant has such a nice atmosphere for family's and very friendly service. Definetly recommend !!

Really nice restaurant with a great family environment and very friendly service. Pizza is really great quality and never dissapoints, the meat on the pizza is not the best but everything else is phenomenal.

You can pick up a pizza on just about every street corner in Melbourne, but unfortunately the vast majority of pizza shops offer a rather mediocre product. You know the type I’m talking about, think base, topped with tomato paste, half a kilo of cheap shredded ham, tinned pineapple and drowning in cheese. Every now and then this type of pizza is ok, but it shouldn’t be accepted as the norm.

Ladro is best know for its delicious wood fired pizzas, and Italian tapas dishes. However we recently discovered that it can do a smashing fantastic breakfast.

Tasty food, nice decor & excellent service. Nothing else for me to say except that you need to go and enjoy it for yourself.<br/>Well done Ladro!

Service and atmosphere were lovely. Unfortunately, the pizza was a bit soggy in the middle and their truffle oil was too mild resulting in a slightly bland pizza. That being said, I would try it again and would order differently.

Great food, very affordable & deffinately provided great service for such a busy time of the year valentines day! Badabing and patate pizza were so delicious and the bruschetta. Polenta chips were crunchy and soft just the way they're supposed to be! I will be visiting this restraunt again for sure .

The pizza at Ladro's is pretty good. My got to is the buda bing and magherita. Ladro's fills a gap in Prahan for good pizza.

Came here the other week for a late dinner and the food was ok. For the price you pay, you'd think you get more, but was utterly disappointed. I got the brisket special and for what I paid, it was too expensive for the amount of food I got. I could have got more meat for half the price at Le Bon ton. The salmon pasta special was very small too and it was as expensive. The calamari starter was soggy. fried calamari should have a crispy coating but it felt like these were old and was very rubbery. More than the usual crispy calamari you would get at a decent Italian place. The place is nice though and the service was good but it's just so expensive for the small portions. Would not go back here again.

Have been here a couple of times and mildly disappointed each visit. The place feels loud and cramped, decor is plain and uninspiring. My main issue though is the lack of vegetarian options on the menu. Maybe 2 dishes? And even those dishes are quite plain and boring- I had tomato and rocket on my pizza which essentially just tasted like tomato. Dark hot chocolate for dessert was delicious in flavour but absolutely no froth? Didn't seem to have been made by a barista as the milk was merely heated, the liquid wasn't even filled to the top of the cup. Probably won't be back unless i am no longer a vegetarian.

Unlike the mild-mannered margherita, the Badabing is an explosive mix of tomatoes, pork sausage, oregano, and chilli. Each slice was thin and chewy, aided by the slightly crisp layer of melted provolone. The sausage was marvellous; surprisingly delicate in flavour, but juicy and chunky. My only gripe was that there was none of the promised basil; it would’ve been ideal for countering the sheer intensity of the flavours.

A really quaint little eatery, with simple, fresh decor and a winning Italian menu. Lots of nice, non-fussy ingredient pairings, and crisp pizza bases which made the entire meal a pleasure! Great attentive staff too :)

Great nook ... Lovely staff and atmosphere. Great for a meal or even just a drink. Have found handy late at night when everywhere else local just does alcohol..

Carbs are king here and delightfully so. Ladro means thief and the thin crust classic pizza here (Fitzroy is the original but there's also one in Prahran) will steal your heart.<br/><br/>My friend had never been to Ladro and chose the San Daniele which we savoured with its raw prosciutto served on top as is traditional, covering mouth-watering onions. I could have eaten another one of those. My Otto was more greasy than l am used to from Ladro but the flavour was undeniably excellent. The spinach, pea and ricotta salad brought a bit of bounce and vegie brilliance to our dinner. And the Ricketts Point ice cream with crunchy wafers was a light but luxurious way to finish - cannoli next time! Service was ok but not great noting that there were a couple of large groups to deal with. Our meals were served quickly despite this. Save up your carb calories and use them here.

Oh Ladro, you never disappoint!! Yes, we chose a busy night and had to wait a while for service but... the pizza & risotto was amazing! We always chose the same pizza - Badabing & Prosciutto, and the pumpkin risotto was to die for! I could have sworn Marco-Pierre White was in the restaurant at the same time as us. So if it's god enough for Marco, its definitely god enough for me!! 5 stars Ladro!!

Had the Salami pizza here last week and was blown away. Super fresh ingredients, great quality. Simple pizzas, not overloaded with toppings, just how it's done in Italy. Highly recccomend making a booking and not just walking in, gets very very busy!

Do: Italian fries and pork sausage pizza. <br/>Don't: Just walk in. Make a booking to avoid disappointment.<br/>Tip: Sit out the back for a little more privacy.

Had dinner here last night with 20 friends. Food was decent for what we paid and Laura was "shit the bed good". Lovely girl and made it an extra good experience. If you do go and bring your own wine, on Monday they donate their corkage to charity. Which is a great idea. <br/><br/>Thanks again!!

Ladro both on Gertrude and Greville offer a simple modern approach on Italian. A perfect smart casual choice when wanting to choose somewhere not too fancy but not too casual. The superb pizzas and divine Burrata along with the yummy dolce to follow, a must try!

What a cosy non pretentious delicious landscape is Ladra..Perhaps what impressed me most was the simplicity yet quality and lightness of sensational clean fare. The Staff were attentive without being intrusive and the layout of Ladra is a merging of cafe and marble tabled minimalism.<br/><br/>Fresh ingredients and subtle flavours the Pecorino mushroom pizza epitomised a non fussy focus. Our favourite though was the entree with melting cheese and a lingering sensory experience long after we had left. <br/>The food is visually delightful and both coffee and hot chocolate were delicious.<br/><br/>Gertrude street can be all pretty Hipster yet Ladra has a homeliness and warmth that I found particularly welcoming. Our conversations were rich and the food was very reasonably priced without the price tags of pretension.<br/><br/>Lovely, attentive and light<br/><br/>We will return again mmmmmm what shall we choose next time

Looking for somewhere to eat after 4, we stumbled upon this place and thought why not? We were greeted by a very friendly staff and found our way to a table for two. We ordered the Gamberi Pizza. It was interesting that I had to personally cut the pizza (I used to cut pizzas for 2 years) but found it uncomfortable given the size of the plate. Sadly the pizza just didn't have the taste that would make your taste buds tingle. We tried adding salt, even asking for chilli flakes to try give the pizza more flavour. A nice place but the food was average at best.

Great atmosphere and friendly staff! A little cramped, but the food was stellar! I had the bruschetta for starters and it was a delicate smokey eggplant topping! Main o had my new favorite pizza Putenesca!!<br/><br/>Some delicious drinks and the staff made for a really great night! <br/>

Best pizza of my life happened tonight. Puttanesca. And the Heathcote Shiraz on the 'by the glass' list - absolutely awesome! 10/10. I want to go back tomorrow. No guarantees that I won't.

There is still an air of coolness about Fitzroy favourite Ladro  (meaning thief in Italian) as it continues to deliver versatile and flexible food.   Since emerging on Melbourne's inner city eatery scene, the fan base of artisan wood fired pizzas have stood strong. You won't be mugged of flavours with an assortment of toppings, thin crisp based pizza crusts and home made pastas. It's no wonder this trattoria has been awarded one chef's hat, (The Age Good Food Guide) seven years running 2005-2011. Can't get a seat amid the hip deco on Gertrude, try your luck at Ladro Greville (Street) in Prahran.  There's also a takeaway menu that's popular among locals. Best pizza in town? Ladro certainly serves up a fine slice. Eat: Fresh seasonal ingredients are sourced to deliver a feel good menu, highlighting Italian cuisine. First up on the  Gertrude Street dinner menu  is the Pizze (pizza). One, along with a Primi Piatti (side) of beans drizzled with

Vegetarian. Like an idiot I accidentally ordered a pizza with meat on it, gave a different pizza with no charge. Legends.

Brilliant pizza!. Much much love for the pizza at both Ladro stores. Love the Baddabing, its my favourite!! Great spot for a casual bite to eat.

A good all-rounder. Visited this great little Italian Trattoria on 25/3/15 and had an excellent meal. Well cooked, tasty, good range of choices, timely and friendly service and a good wine list. NO faults and will head back again sometime.<br/><br/>And go on a Monday night and they donate your corkage to a charity - good move.

...good ratio of gorgonzola meant the other ingredients were not overpowered by the strong blue cheese taste. Incredibly flavoursome and topped off with crunchy crouton bits, this pizza was delicious.

Ladro looks and feels like the middle class pizza parlour that it is. It’s slate floor and the number of people they cram in to a small space means it can get a little noisy, but its all part of the ambience and the fact its always busy means it feels like your in amongst it.

Ladro has two locations, one in Fitzroy and the other in Prahran. I recently visited the Fitzroy one, located at 224 Gertrude Street, Fitzroy, and we had a great time. Firstly, I was a bit excited to see that they had mocktails for those currently participating in Dry July. My wife and I are both participating this year, with funds raised going to the Royal Children’s Hospital. If you’d like to donate to our team, you can do so here . We’d really appreciate it. It was nice to be able to lie to ourselves that we were having a nice fruity cocktail while we enjoyed our dinner. It was enjoyable. Their garlic and herb pizzetta was a great starter to share, crisp thin base with enough garlic goodness to ruin an episode of True Blood. For the main we opted for the Badabing, with tomato, provolone, pork sausage, oregano, chilli and basil. When we ordered we had confirmed that the pizza wasn’t overly spicy. It’s probably a little ironic then that while the chilli wasn’t that hot, I still manage

Overall Ladro has a very unaffected, easygoing atmosphere that’s perfect for catching up with friends. A few communal tables encourage the lively atmosphere. The staff are efficient, friendly and knowledgeable – happy to help with suggestions or explanations. The wine list offers a decent selection, with wines by the glass written on the wall beside the kitchen, along with the specials.<br/>

The minimalist design of the restaurant mimics the flavours. With a black and white interior and tightly packed communal tables, Ladro’s is comfortable and fun. We came here as an after-thought, having planned a mission to Mamasita’s all week but craving pizza at the last minute. I ordered a leek, gorgonzola, parsley and basil pizza and requested a little added prosciutto. My partner ordered the Babading - pork sausage with provolone, oregano, and chilli amongst others. The crust was great; thin and crispy yet doughy enough to

We were seated in the 'courtyard' which was really quite pleasant, but not much of a courtyard in that it is almost entirely closed.

Ladro is a gem on Gertrude St delivering a casual yet fabulous dining experience and some of the best pizza and pasta in Melbourne. We were there for the Melbourne Pizza Festival running in June - showcasing top notch Melbourne pizza establishments. Ladro has been one of the top pizza houses in Melbourne for several years. My previous function here was for a family function where we enjoyed the spaciousness of the large table that could accommodate all 9 of us.

Ladro was fast, delicious and convivial; definitely somewhere I'll be returning - not even the scarce parking options on Gertrude street can deter me from my Badabing pizza and my Bombolini!!<br/>

On a return visit shortly after the dinner, we ordered the tiramisu. Creamy, multi textured and served in a jar, it ticked all the boxes, even though I’m not usually a tiramisu fan.

MoMo & Coco's "Guide to Doughnuts in Melbourne" -- apart from excellent pizza, Ladro serves curvaceous bomboloni that channels the sensibilities of Renaissance art.

[W]hen heading to the Italian capital of Australia we had to pay a visit to what is reportedly one of the best pizza joints in town, Ladro. Margherita - tomato, bufala, basil ($16.50). Simplicity is the key to this timeless classic. The perfect pizza when you have a good quality base and that's exactly what Ladro has. Thin, crispy, crunchy woodfired base topped with tomato, mozzarella and basil. Simple foo

Even more exciting for us is its newish kids' menu, declaring its readiness for meals with little ones! We learnt tonight that Ladro means Thief in Italian We had a booking at 5:30pm for the family-friendly early sitting, and the restaurant was empty when we first arrived. We were warmly greeted and promptly seated, with a portable high chair fitted to one of the standard chairs for Bubs. Luckily Bubs fell asleep for the entire meal so it was a lot less chaotic for us than usual! The restaurant filled up pretty quickly after that but the service remained impressively attentive and efficient. The kids menu offered pizza or pasta dessert of bomboloni or ice

If those of you that are not familiar with Ladro, you're missing out, big time. Wood oven fired pizzas that have a crisp base with enough toughness to give it that chewyness that makes a wood fired pizza awesome. Because as you know, after a shit day, not

Ladro has consistently been awarded one Chef’s Hat in The Age Good Food Guide in recent years. Being the only pizzeria in town to currently hold one of these coveted Hats, I was intrigued to see how it would fare in comparison to venerable pizza establish

This was the 2nd time I’ve been to Ladro. The 1st time I was there was for an 8 o’clock Friday night dinner – it was packed with diners and absolutely buzzing. This time, we were the first ones there and the restaurant was stark and still, which gave me a

A* & I headed off to the original Ladro in Fitzroy for our date night sometime in July. Ladro is well-known as a pizza establishment in Melbourne and they have recently expanded and opened another Ladro in Prahran.

Deeelishhhh !. Had a lovely date there with my hubby. <br/><br/>Entrees - bruschetta(?) was simply amazing! Pesto base - great flavours <br/>Main - puttanesca pizza with added salami. Thin base and a rich flavourful tomato base. We also had the Italian fries which was a yummy addition. <br/><br/>Overall - highly recommend for yummy, thin base and flavorsome pizza !

I attended a christening over the weekend at Ladro. I don't often review restaurants but I felt that the service we received on Sunday was exceptional. The wait staff were amazing! Always smiling, extremely helpful and very accommodating. Especially as I have a gluten intolerance which is usually met with an eye roll- not at ladro!! The food was delicious and served promptly and presented beautifully. The roast pork was a standout and my husband loved the pizza.<br/>To anyone who is looking for a restaurant to host a small event I would highly recommend this Ladro.

Just delicious... Love, love, love. Had my first brunch at Ladro and it was sensational. Heading back soon to try more of the menu! Delicious pork belly, polenta chips and apple & red cabbage slaw! Yummy!

Like it. Our favourite pizza place. I like to make pizza at home too but these pizzas are great. The staff are very nice too.

Delicious pizzas and attentive service. Went here for dinner with a group of friends on Friday night. We ordered the San Daniele, Badabing, the special pizza with zucchini and peas, and the spinach salad. Everything was delicious! The pizza base was a little hard to cut through, so ditch the knife and fork and use your hands.

Ladro Gertrude St, Fitzroy - Fine Dining Experience. "The Ladro dining experience is authentic, generous and represents fantastic value for money"<br/>Recently I set myself the challenge to find a fine wine and dining experience for my friend's birthday, Ladro Fitzroy was the suggestion - why not I thought....?<br/>Tucked away in Gertrude Street Fitzroy, we were greeted and seated immediately. Beverages were offered and we chose some fine Sauvignon Blanc and a Sorbetto Mocktail, just for something different! Watching the bubbling sorbet, it reminded me of the popular "spider" drink from my youth.<br/>Starters: Brushetta Caprese with tomato, mozzarella di bufala, and aged balsamico. <br/>Mains: After viewing the incredible choices, we decided on the specials of the day:<br/>Pasta Ravioli Verdure Con Ricotta, Asparagus, Broadbeans with Sage and Porcini Brown Butter Arrosto - 'Agnello'<br/>Shank braised in tomato and Eggplant with Fregola & Grilled Zucchini<br/>Dessert: Cinnamon donuts served with honey and caramel macadamia ice cream. Deliciously delicate, tasty and perfect to share after the beautiful mains.<br/>The flavours did not disappoint. We were very impressed and sent our compliments to the chef on departure.<br/>Our dining experience was most satisfying. Service was outstanding and clearly the highest quality ingredients had been used.<br/><br/>Did you know....?? Ladro donate all $5 corkage from Mondays to two AMAZING charities that between them feed 1000′s of less advantaged people in and around Fitzroy and Prahran.<br/><br/>**Recommendation: Try the house speciality woodfired pizza cooked lovingly in the cosy wood fired pizza oven fired with sustainable Redgum firewood from The Green Centre, www.thegreencentre.com.au - online ordering now available

Great service, great food!. I made the mistake of ordering our takeaway from the Greville St store, rocked up to Gertude St to pick it up & realised i'd stuffed up. The staff couldn't have been nicer, they quickly made our order at Gertrude St & the staff at Greville St were so understanding. We had the porcini pizza, potato pizza & the risotto, all were great, will definitely be back!

Had previously been before and at that time thought best pizza ever. This time extremely disappointed. Soggy base, very little topping, fact conveniently hidden by pile of rocket . Service was pedestrian. My friends all found the same with their food ... Really skimping on ingredients on all our pizzas

I'm in love with their pizza, and after the first time of being there I was back twice in just over a week. They are honest simple pizzas, just like they should be made. The service is also great, just like it should be.

Italian pizzas??. Very disappointing if wanting to eat an italian pizza... more than a pizza it seems like a topped flat bread.. worst pizza base ever..overpriced.. can't believe it's got such a huge reputation for it's pizzas..

LOVED!!!! MUST TRY!!. Went to Ladro for the first time on Sat night for a catch up with friends and was not let down. The waiter was so attentive and extremely helpful. We were happy for him to order for us as we all love everything. He bought out great starters and suggested 6 pizzas for 6 of us and it was perfect. We took our own wine and he was giving us fresh glasses and pouring when we were low (which I love) he even decanted our wine. We all ordered dessert which again we weren't let down. We all thought it was so reasonable priced! Definitely will be going back!

Service a little slow. Pizza is great hot not cold unless your eating it for breakfast. Calamari cold too.

Great pizza. Excellent service and we thought the variety of pizzas, pasta and other items on the menu were good. My beloved ordered puttanesca, myself bedaubing. Both delicious

I'm reasonable and forgiving when it comes to eating out in a mid priced place but my experience here was frankly horrid. I had a risotto which was more or less brown gruel (as well as grainy do undercooked) and my partner had gnocchi which was so unremarkable she left 3/4 of it untouched. These are staple dishes. Either do them right or don't call yourself Italian. Service also sub standard. la Porchetta looks a better option!! Hurumph and not going back. .

I really like this place. Delicious pizza, cool atmosphere.

Great Pizza! Love this place. Every time I eat here I'm never disappointed. The waitstaff were very accommodating today placing a table outside so we could dine with our dog.

Coming up short..... I had high hopes for this well respected restaurant. However, in many aspects it came up short and there was little value for money. <br/>The Mangia options were adequate and delicious. However, the main menu options were limited and in regards to the pizza it was disappointing to have so much of the 'good stuff' that you would expect as a given, an 'extra'.<br/>The Prosecco was served in a white wine glass, was flat and insufficient. I did enjoy my Pinot Noir though.<br/>I'm sorry to say that the best part of the dining experience was the no-fuss option of having a gluten-free base.<br/>There was a total lack of conviviality in the place - there seemed to be a disconnect between staff and patrons, the environment and even the food. It was as flat as the Prosecco we were served and even a bit too cramped.

I have been coming here for 11yrs &<br/>I can honestly say it's still one of the best pizza eatery in Melbourne <br/>The Pasta & Dolce menu<br/>Is also great<br/>Long Live the Ladro

Great vibe. Nice casual feel but a very clean restaurant. Wood fire Pizzas are great and the staff offer excellent service.

Highly Recommended. Great Food, Great Service. All round fun and local feel to the place.

12 TIMES, AND ALWAYS GOOD. MAMY MANY TIMES IVE BEEN HERE, ACTUALLY PROBABLY MORE THAN 12<br/><br/>It always amazes me how people can write such bad things , you never get a bad pizza here, all the meals are generous in portions, extremely tasty, and the staff could never be more helpful.<br/>I have always felt welcomed and looked after<br/><br/>My Bellini s are probably my favourite.....yum yum yum <br/><br/>Can only say I am never disappointed...beautiful food , beautiful place

I like it! Great service..m.... I like it!<br/>Great service..maybe just bathroom a bit more clean but the rest was bonissimo!<br/>Thank you

Beautiful simplicity. Ladro is definitely a place that every Italian food-lover should visit, that is serving simple, yet absolutely delicious Italian classics with little twists. Restaurant is always bustling with people. However, at the same time, the venue has a certain charm about it which makes it perfect for less formal dinner with your loved one. In some days it is hard to get in without booking the table in advance or waiting for the free seat for ages. There is certainly a good reason for Ladro’s popularity: good quality, well-executed food, that could be proudly served by an Italian mamma – everyone who has ever been to Italy knows that it’s the best compliment a restaurant can possibly receive.<br/><br/>We started our dinner with the bowl of delicious, mixed olives, that we kept munching on throughout the whole meal. As a starter we shared the arancini with peas and taleggio cheese, and fried calmari. The first bite of arancini came with a nice surprise – instead of the usual risotto, they were made with barley, which gave them a nice texture and more earthly flavour. Calmari were just the way they should be – crispy and not too oily batter surrounded tender inside. <br/><br/>For our main courses we picked basil tortellini with blue crab in tomato sauce, and pizza with tomato sauce, chilli, mascarpone, capers and wagyu bresaola. Both of them sounded very tempting, and tasted equally well. Thin and delicate, yet still perfectly al dente, pasta with crab meat filling was delicious. The little let-down of the dish was tomato sauce which lacked seasoning and was on the sour side. Pizza was definitely a highlight of the meal. Crispy and perfectly thin crust let us enjoy the meal without the feeling of the dough-overdose. Toppings were great quality, and well-balanced. Flavourful wagyu bresaola, salty capers, delicate and creamy mascarpone, sweet & sour tomato sauce and chilli – it couldn’t be any better. This is a kind of pizza that I can see myself craving one day late at night, and regretting I can’t just get it delivered to my doorstep.<br/><br/>Unfortunately, this time we had no room for desserts, but from what I got from discrete observation of the surrounding tables, they must be delicious. Everyone seemed to be extremely pleased with them. Next time I visit Ladro I will for sure try tiramisu and their hot ricotta doughnuts, served with chocolate dipping sauce which looked absolutely decadent.<br/><br/>In summary, Ladro serves food that is beautiful in its simplicity. Good-quality ingredients, that are well-executed and well-matched together, speak for themselves and once again prove that sometimes you do not need fancy, modern techniques to create the food that people will be craving for. Definitely one of my favourites.

Mixed plates. For late night coffee and the best hot chocolate Ladro is the place. The dinner rush is a bit different in my experience. The food was delicious but very expensive and with limited mains for vegetarians. The service was very slow, sides came after we'd finished mains and the dismissive explanation of service problems, whisking away of plates and general table-side manner was rude.

I don't know if ladro has good food because I didn't get the opportunity to see a menu let alone order anything from it. When my friend and I were approached by a scruffy male waiter who offered to be seated either at the bar facing a brick wall or outside on the terrace. We chose to sit outside. We sat at a 2 seater table but the heater above was too hot so we moved to a nearby vacant 4 seater. The waiter then asked if there were only 2 of us we replied yes and he asked us to move back to the table we previously sat at. When we explained the heater was too warm he then suggested that we move to the brick facing counter. May I point out that there were 3 tables occupied. The waiters rude, abrupt and arrogant manner shocked us! We felt unwelcome and humiliated that we felt the need to leave. Maybe the waiter got out of bed on the wrong side that morning? But management YOU should teach your staff a lesson or 2 on hospitality, is this not the industry you are in?

Perfect dinner last night. Delicious arancini. Shared 4 pizzas all delicious (favourite was the porcini). And bomboloni for dessert, such a big serve! Perfect for sharing. Service was very good and friendly. Byo is great too.

Beautiful all round!

Bad service and food nothing to rave about! 8 of us went and had no option of what we wanted but the pizza! Wouldn't go back!!

Love Ladro. Ladro is one of those places we have been meaning to try forever and finally made it for lunch on Sunday and we thought it was great.<br/><br/>Firstly, they have a kids menu - and colouring paper, activity books, textas and pencil - which is extensive and healthy. Secondly, the real menu is extensive. We really struggled to decide what to have. <br/><br/>Some picks of the day - arancini balls are a must, vitello tonnato was fantastic, 4-cheese pizza was delicious (pizzas all thin and crispy base) and we had the crab tortellini and the mushroom / truffle tagliatelle. The pastas were home made, authentic and there was not too much.<br/><br/>So there was a tiny bit of room for dessert.... hard to go past the donuts......

What a disappointment... Have eaten out in Mel for 13 years and never have I been this disappointed... the pasta dishes are to be avoided as very bland and just tastes like oily pasta... Maybe pizza is their thing in which case they should stick to what they are good at... Service was off also so won't be back :-(

Good pizza. Not a lot of veg options, but I can only eat one pizza at a time. Pizza crusts are good, toppings are delicious. Will be back soon.

Pizza paradise. We love the charming young front-of-house crew, tremendous crunchy-singed-chewy pizzas, and restrained but perfect toppings. Octopus was a bit of an effort though. Good wine choices, buzzy cosy shared long table, everyone clearly having fun. Except the loud-mouthed, inebriated woman who came out of her loo into the common sink area, looked shocked and started complaining about shared unisex toilets, despite the clear sign-posting. If you don't like shared toilets, go somewhere else, or use the bushes.

Bad gluten free pizza. The gluten free pizza here is not worth the 24 dollars you pay for it. <br/>At 4 dollars extra for a gluten free base that was so thin you can't actually hold it like pizza, it was like eating a cheese crepe - no joke. <br/>Tasted lovely but so totally insubstantial, really disappointing - I enjoy thin crispy, crusts but this was paper thin and had the texture of a crepe.

Good but not super great. I had the pork sausage pizza and it was nice nothing to complain about. The staff were pretty good though - professional and prompt.

LOVE! Amazing Gluten Free Pizza. I absolutely love this restaurant. I've been 4 or 5 times now with different people and almost everyone has agreed that this is a great Italian restaurant. <br/><br/>Why do I love it?<br/><br/>1. Gluten Free Pizza - it's not easy to find gluten free pizza bases that don't taste like cardboard, but the bases here are beautifully thin and give the impression that you're eating the scrumptious pizza bases you used to enjoy before gluten screwed you over! I'm scared to eat gluten free pizza elsewhere because I know it won't match up!<br/><br/>2. Service<br/>From being able to book your table online or by leaving a message on the phone (and they always seem to get it!) to the table service when you're there Ladro Gertrude has great service. The staff are always friendly, great at refilling water glasses and noticing if your drink needs replacing. My family and I went here on a 40 + degree day in Melbourne and due to last minute planning were told we could only get a table in the closed courtyard at the back - and were warned numerous times that it was stinking hot out there. The staff were so keen to make sure we were aware it would be uncomfortably hot, even at the risk of us deciding not to go that night. We went anyway and the staff were fantastic at checking that we were comfortable and changing the fan settings to accommodate us. <br/><br/>3. All of the food!<br/>The olives are unmissable, and the side of green beans are almost always perfectly cooked. The tomato base used on the pizzas is soo good! The pizzas don't have heaps of topping (like you might get at fast food outlets) but I don't mind because what is on there tastes yummy and it's clear the ingredients are good quality. The desserts are also very yummy. <br/><br/>4. Aesop hand lotion in the bathroom.<br/>Need I say more?<br/><br/>This restaurant isn't the cheapest but I think it's definitely value for money, especially if you've been deprived of good pizza since going gluten free!

Thieves. We had a tuna carpaccio with 4 tiny pieces of tuna.Ok it wasn',t bad, but not outstanding either. Avoid the pizza Nord. There's almost no goat cheese on it.

Pizza made with NO love. This was the best pizza in town, but not anymore.<br/>Had a simple Margarita, Dry, 30% of the pizza had no sauce, base was chewy. Less Aesop for Sugo.

Second time here: pizzas are very good, very tasty dough and fresh ingredients which compliment each other rather than dominate. <br/>Meals are priced accordingly.<br/>Will return!

Great pizza. Always good service and good food. Mushroom pizza and prawn pizza are a favourite. Nice to see kids enjoying a Fitzroy meal with their parents. Take-away is good too. Best choice in the neighbourhood for a quick slice or three.

Molto bene. I was really impressed by the classic Italian themed menu. Get the smoked buffalo mozzarella, it's sensational.

Great venue, friendly staff, prompt service. Pizzas looked amazing! My Slow Roasted Goat was presented nicely, very tasty BUT was disappointing in that, the amount of meat I actually got was paltry. Between the bone & fat which amounted to about half of the dish, I was left feeling as though I hadn't eaten much at all. Not worth the 34.00 I paid at all, bit disappointed.

Didn't get what we ordered

Disappointed. It may be a Gertrude St icon and we've been meaning to come for years. But it's a mystery to me why it's popular. Pizza was pretty ordinary and my Special was a bowl of meat stew - tender but for $35 I expect more. And drinks are expensive. Atmosphere ok but only go if you like being close to neighboring tables.

Hard to get in as Saturday night was fully booked. We ended up in the courtyard which, though heated, is a bit drafty for Melbourne in spring. <br/><br/>I had the leek and Gorgonzola pizza. Base was thin and crispy but tasty too. Toppings of leek, basil and Gorgonzola were fine but too light on the Gorgonzola. I missed that blue taste. <br/>Very attentive and friendly waiter. <br/>$15 corkage so didn't bring my cheap wine.

Not for the GF. Yep - they have a Gluten Free pizza base but it's by far the worst I've ever had. You couldn't pick it up it was so undercooked and sadly abit pathetic. The pizza toppings are lovely though and the flavours are tasty. <br/><br/>That said - the Italian donuts with blood orange syrup - DELICIOUS (not GF!) and I'd go back for them alone. <br/><br/>Overall it's good but not that good.

Hit the spot. I have been to Ladro several times now and really like it. It is our go to place when it is getting a bit late for a lot of other places around Fitzroy. The pizza is always good, the staff can always recommend some great wine and the place has a relaxed feel about it.

Past reviews had led us to believe that ladro had the finest pizzas one could possibly taste in this fine city of ours. What a pity they are not. Our hopes were crushed fairly briskly upon the presentation of bread and olive oil as a nibble before pizza. Hmmm is it just me or is it a bit of overkill eating wheat before a main of wheat? It must be said it was beautiful olive oil and fine bread but the appropriateness of serving it before pizza, is questionable. The pizzas themselves are hugely disappointing. In fact we make a truer, tastier pizza at home.....and we can order far superior pizzas than ladros offerings just a few kilometres from our belgrave home. Ladros pizza bases are very much like a cheap pita bread from the supermarket. The toppings are taking sparse... a few steps too far. Our Marghareta was speckled with a few pieces of nice mozzarella and .....wait for it....ONE tiny leaf of basil upon a tomato base. ....and this was the pizza i enjoyed most out of the 3 we sampled.....need i say more....well yes......the MOST disappointing part of the whole experience is the expense. I would pay $10 for a pizza like the ones we ate at Ladros.....but over $20 for each pizza is actually almost theft. This is the hipness of inner city cool,consuming itself with a flaming over stated ego to match the prices. Dissapointingly pretentious pizza . If you are ever in the Dandenong ranges..give Mad Raven Pizzas a burl....belgrave monbulk road in Kallista central. Seriously good all Organic pizzas at realistic prices....we will never stray again ....Raven.

Food was reasonable only. We were placed in the back room near the toilets that as the night progressed started to smell a bit. Front bar looked far nicer. Ok tonight but expected better.

Early Riser. This place got to Gertrude street at the get go. And add to that the delightful Shaun and pizza with potato & truffle oil - needs a visit, if not regular then at least from time to time.

Great pizza. Loved the calamari and the prawn ravioli with pea was devine. We shared a pork sausage & chilli pizza with a rocket, pear & gorgonzola salad. Perfect lunch, great service & really good coffee.

Disappointing. Was expecting so much more.<br/>Only tried the pizza but that was more than enough.<br/>Seemed to be on a lebanese bread base.<br/>I deliver home made pizza's on my Iranian bread base, of a much higher quality than Ladro.

Great pizza. I've been here a couple of times in a couple of months now. The first time I had the salami pizza, second time I shared the leek & gorgonzola, the mushroom and fontina and the Scout's pizza (rocket, tomato, cheese). I really like the pizza - good thin crusts and top-quality topping ingredients. I find the wine list quite expensive (cheapest bottles are around 46) but OK if you're sharing a bottle between three. The service I've had is quite good - attentive - but I sort of feel like they expect me to have a starter, mains, dessert, wine, aperetifs and coffee - the whole shebang. I'm sure if I did, it would be fabulous though.

Ladro is all about simple things done exceptionally well. We source the finest ingredients from suppliers, preferably local + sustainable, but also from Italy. <br/><br/>It's also been selected for the Melbourne Pizza Festival.

Great pizza, but opt for take away.. Food was nice if a little scarce. Pizzas are a good size for one, but you will starve if you order a pasta. Gnocchi was bland. Desserts are overpriced and small - so I wouldnt bother there. <br/><br/>Atmosphere was OK - tables are very close together and I had … read reviewtrouble using my knife & fork due to the gentleman sitting behind me. I was completely uncomfortable the whole night. Also, although I like the concept of slicing up your own pizzas, this only works when there is enough room on the table to do so - with wine glasses, water glasses, crockery and cutlery + the pizzas it makes no sense to me at all. <br/><br/>Service was good - waiter poured BYO wine with a little slack and kept spilling it all over the table and splashing it back on us. When paying $15.00 a bottle corkage I'd like some more care taken when pouring. Staff overall were pleasantly mannered, if anything a little cold. Meh. Although the pizza was good, I wouldn't be convinced to eat it in an uncomfortable setting again.

Pizza and starters were nice but nothing amazing. Gnocchi beautifully textured but completely flavourless. <br/>Service was abysmal. Wine was poured roughly and splashed across the table. Staff generally unfriendly. Made to wait for table for twenty minutes even after making a booking. <br/>Pizza was nice but not worth the trouble. I'd head to supermaxi for superior food and service.

Terrible service. Pizza was great!<br/><br/>Unfortunately service was terrible. Almost all of our order was put through incorrectly and after finally receiving the correct orders we were not given a pizza cutter, asked for the item 3 times before giving up. had no Knives so ended up having to hack it apart with forks, very disappointing evening.

Great simple Italian. Ravenous when we arrived and food did not disappoint. Pea Leek and Gorgonzola pizza was quick and delicious. Yum!

Fantastic dining. The staff is attentive, the service is swift, the food is exceptional and the experience is awesome. The pizzas themselves are as good as proper Roman pizzas, and of particular note is the panna cotta which is to die for. Cannot recommend enough.

Truffle oil. Great modern pizzas... hard to beat

Professional and handsome front of house seated us promptly in a well positioned table despite the restaurant being full to the brim. Attentive waitress settled us wirh water and aperitivos. With enquiry she recommended starters and my gluten free companion was able to order with ease. Stunning oven roasted figs with prosciutto. The most outstanding gluten free base she has experienced, finely apportioned toppings of pork sausage on the badabing

Amazing special starter followed by excellent pizza and delicious gnocchi, with very tasty panna cotta and coffee to finish. Nice atmosphere and good staff, but the tables are a little close together.

Great pizza. We really enjoyed the pizzas at Ladro. Had a Badabing, mushroom pizza, prawn pizza and a spicy one with anchovy. All very thin crust, tasty toppings and good size: four pizzas was plenty for four hungry guys. The space is white, clean, modern and appealing, and we found the staff very friendly and accommodating. The only downside was the somewhat excessive markup for wine with no bottle of red for under $40. Still, with 2 bottles and 4 pizzas we paid about $45 per person, which is reasonable. All in all, a good experience and we'll be back.

The service was fine, but the novelty of thin based pizza with a splash of tomato paste and 4 basil leaves for $23 is... wearing a little thin. This place is not good value, not is it fine dining.

From the moment my wife and I walked in the door staff immediately welcomed us and took us to a table. Service was exceptional the entire evening and the food an exceptional high organic quality. Testimony to my review is the continually packed restaurant they have every night. A huge thankyou to the owner and all staff that made our night out an incredible culinary experience

Lost the hat? Really?. Walked in with a friend, after a long absence, and was abruptly seated. The waitress approached and asked if we were in for breakfast or lunch. I responded 'Oh, do you do breakfast?' to which she replied 'No.'<br/><br/>Ensuing events: we ordered a charcuterie plate that arrived sans bread, cornichons, olives... well, anything but meat. Very nice meat, but could have used something else. Ordered pizza for mains and received a prosciutto rather than a pescatore. Waiter said 'Oh, I thought it was weird you ordered so much cured meat,' then, after an uncomfortable pause, offered to 'change' it for us. 'If we liked'.<br/><br/>We liked, but were unfortunately denied refilled water glasses for the rest of out meal.<br/><br/>Our eventual pizza was far below the standards of DOC (any of them) or even Pizza Meine Leibe in Northcote. Nothing wrong with it, but it really didn't shine.<br/><br/>Coffee and wine are very good, however. Probably a great place if you don't care about service or food.

Not worth the money. If you are going to charge that price you have to have the best quality and service and on both occasions this year and last ladro had arrogant staff and good/average quality pizza.<br/>maybe when ladro was on its own it could be the best but with a number of speciality pizza places now around, some that offer better quality and better service it is an ask to bother.

Best Pizza in town. I really like Gertrude St in general and I always get great pizza here. Order the prawn, spinach, lemon one or the margherita. Crisp thin bases and great toppings too. they have a different beer on special every day and I often order it with interest. Very good service for a pizza place but if you don't want pizza I can rec their pastas too. sometimes I have to wait for a table but definitely worth it. Recommend this one.

Extremely Disappointing. Extremely disappointing dining experience.<br/>Very rude service and poor quality pizzas. Ultra expensive for ordinary pizza and a few sides (bread, olives and salad).<br/>Avoid if you can.

Our first experience at Ladro is certain to be our last. Booked by one of the ten of us we didnt know what to expect. We arrived to be seated in a dark, over heated back room by an inpaitent, rude waitress. The entertainment of poor service started within minutes of arriving and lasted throughout the entire meal. Ladro locked us in to a $40 pp set menu that included a few slices of pizza each, a handfull of olives, bread & oil for the poor, small bowls of calamari and rocket to share along with a mini rice ball with was claimed to be arranchini. Pizza was very average and not the italian style that Ladro claims to be. BYO is a ridiculous $15 a bottle and your next option is house wine at $9.50 a glass and expensive beer. 'Ladro' are definitely standing by their italian translation of 'thief'. The grand bill certainly didnt represent any value, all ten of us walking away in regret.

Went last year,and enjoyed very much.<br/>went tonight,and are so disapointed.<br/>allthough arenchino was very nice,so was the peach and blue chese salada,pizzas were very not nice.and salad was drawoning in olive oil and nothingelse.waiter didnt even wonder why the pizza wasnt eaten,when took it away.calamari was allmost cold,and un upetizing.all of that wasent cheap,and really very disapointing.wont go back.papa gino in ligon st.will remain our fav pizza.enough with all thoes farty potentios stupid pizzas that cost so much and give nothing but a burnt pita with some smerd nothingness for so much money.

Avoid!. There is nothing artisan about these pizzas. An Italian would not give this place 5 minutes. It is over rated and overpriced. OK bases, dismal toppings. When we asked for extra salami on a Badabing pizza we were told that we couldn't have it as the kitchen does not like to add 2 meats to one pizza! Pretentious and totally arrogant....it's a pizza!!..... especially since the "chef" appeared to be 18. A friend asked for rocket on her pizza and was charged $9.50 extra!... Bowl of small olives.. $9.50! A bowl the size that would usually be provided free with a drink in a good bar. No idea why this place is so busy. Poor food, poor service and massively overpriced. Avoid

Average at best. Best pizza in Melbourne? I'm not so sure. There was nothing wrong with the pizza, it just wasn't great. Try DOC instead.

Great simplistic food, with flavours that enhance each other. Cutting your own pizza was a bit fun, however became more of a nuisance as time past. Wait staff were perfect, elegant decor

Just okay. I had heard a lot about Ladro and had been really keen to check it out.<br/><br/>It was just okay. Nice, but nothing spectacular.<br/>We ordered three pizzas. The potato pizza was okay, but a bit heavy on the truffle oil and a bit light on the salt which made it kind of bland. The badabing was just okay for me, but the others liked it. I thought the salami pizza was quite good. Nice and simple, but tasty. The side salad with the lot was simple but really good. <br/><br/>The desserts were pretty crap.<br/>A $12.50 tiramasu that is literally drowned in coffee, with no sponge layer to speak of and no marsala.<br/>The donuts were both dry and undercooked? Weird. And quite boring, with a strange, hard crust. <br/>And a $4 scoop of vanilla ice cream!? It was good, but seriously. $4 for ONE scoop! And only two flavours available. It'd be nice of they ventured beyond chocolate and vanilla, although I guess that's not their game.<br/>Had a kind of nice white hot chocolate, but there was something weird going on.<br/><br/>The service. Terrible! Couldn't make eye contact with anyone which made it pretty hard to order drinks, or pay the bill. With four or five people behind the bar and a dwindling crowd it was kind of strange how long it took for them to organise the bill and bring it to us to sign so we could leave. <br/><br/>And the atmosphere leaves a lot to be desired. It's a bit inhospitable and cold. Maybe its all the grey, but its not a comfortable space...especially with the cloak room/staff room door right behind your table.<br/><br/>Overall, it was just an okay. Nothing spectacular and probably a victim of being over-hyped. Kind of disappointed to leave knowing you could cook something as good (and some things much better) at home for half the price. Definitely not the best pizza I've ever had, but still better than most. I'd probably still return, and skip desserts.

Flat beer, Burnt Pizza. The beer was flat, the staff were pushy, barely giving us a chance to look at the menu. The pizza base was undercooked as well as burnt???? The waitress then cleaned the table getting ready for us to leave, and I hadn't even finished my flat drink. Beer and Pizza $75 and they couldn't even cut the pizza for me.<br/>All and all overrated, over priced and quite a disappointment.

Excellent evening. Delicious food, great service. Highlights were the peach Bellini sorbet and the limoncello, and the chef was pretty good looking too.

Great Food, Great Place. Ladro's pizzas are regarded as being among the best in Melbourne and the Badabing lived up to my lofty expectations. Quality Provolone cheese and tomato on a beautiful, thin crust dough, topped with a generous amount of pork sausage, along with fresh oregano, basil and chilli. The flavour combination worked beautifully, and at $20.50 it was worth every cent.<br/><br/>The green tomato and buffalo mozarella drizzled with fine extra virgin olive oil we shared as an appetizer from the Specials board, was an absolute gem. <br/><br/>The ladies enjoyed melt in the mouth Braised Beef Cheek (Guance Di Manzo) on a thick bed of polenta cooked in the wood-fired oven, which they enjoyed but found a tiny bit dry. A thinner sauce would have been been absorbed better by the polenta, rather than the viscous gravy which accompanied the bovine offering. Nevertheless the braised beef melted in the mouth and not a skerrick remained on their plates.<br/><br/>The desserts were fantastic. I had the bombolini; perfectly round fluffy italian doughnuts generously dusted in sugar, served alongside a scoop of rich, creamy vanilla ice-cream drizzled in blood-orange syrup. This dish was a classic example of the right blend of ingredients teaming together to produce a sensational taste experience. The blood orange syrup lifted this dish to the a very high level indeed.<br/><br/>Peg opted for the pepper, clove and vanilla panna cotta with honeypoached grannysmith apples, and Boy was she glad she did! The texture and consistency was magnificently light, smooth and creamy. Pepper, clove and vanilla married togeether superbly and Peg was so impressed by the greatness of this dish that she actually offered Perna and I a taste from her plate. First time ever. <br/><br/>Perna selected a Rhubarb, Yoghurt and honeycomb concoction accompanied by biscotti. This dish was another winner and it was actual fresh honeycomb (made by bees) that sat proudly atop the thick creamy yoghurt. Perna was delighted with the dish and the meal, and we all look forward to the next time we visit Ladro.<br/><br/>The service was warm, friendly and professional and we were served by three different people during the meal, which was unusual but worked seamlessly. The toilets here unisex and feature top quality soap and hand-cream which sells for $80 a bottle just down the road.

Liking the pizza but the most memorable dish was the pork belly with amazing crackle. Bring it back!!

Cute place. Yummy food! too bad the weighter was a weirdo! you know the one im talking about :S

Ladro = Theif. LADRO in Italian means THEIF & they definitely are.<br/>I searched online for a kid friendly restaurant & LADRO came up. We had 15 adults & 4 children. Parking is an issue & for people with children, not convenient at all.<br/>Due to the size of the group I had to pay a $20 deposit per person via credit card 3 days prior (which was not refunded to the card, but taken off the bill) & we had to comply to a set menu of antipasti & 10 pizzas. The antipasto was an embarrassing 4 slices of proscuitto, salami & some olives. A small serve of calamari & 1 "arancini" per person. Being of Sicilian heritage we know what arancini are & they were definitely not. What we were served would be classified as "suppli" - rice balls.<br/>They did not have any diet drinks for the diabetic of the group. They shoved us at the back in a garage like room that had a roller door & a freezing draft coming through - also right next to the toilets.<br/>The pizzas were mediocre - we can make better at home & our 10th pizza was a no show.<br/>The final blow was that the total per person came to $85.00 definitely not worth it at all. Yes we had a couple of coffees & some alcohol, but nothing to reflect the total bill at the end of the night.<br/>VERY DISAPPOINTED THEY USE THE ITALIAN SLANT - TO DISGRACE IT.

Don't believe the hype .... After haring so much about ladro i decided to try<br/><br/>the pizza base was undercooked with charred spots on it (anyone who has ever made pizza in a woodfired oven know that this means that the over was not hot enough when the pizza was put in) <br/><br/>the waitress asked how i enjoyed the meal and when i politely reponded 'it was ok' she shrigged her shoulders and walked off as if i was uncultured for not enjoying their burnt pizza

Gorgonzola and Anchovy pizza.. If there's a little voice inside of you whispering that pizza should simply be BETTER than it is, it's telling you to go to Ladro. I have never had a better pizza than the one I just ate here. Fantastic dessert as well. This restaurant is now an instant favourite of mine and i'm looking forward to further exploring the menu.

Great to be back!. We haven't been here for some time, so it was good that the Straciatella is still on the menu, you have got to try it especially in colder months, the special pizza of the day was also very good, shame we don't live closer. Recommended

Great takeaway. Went to a friends house for a dinner party on Saturday night which very quickly turned into a major disaster zone when she burnt the roast chicken. Long story short: she lives in Smith St and ended up ordering take out pizza and salads from Ladro in Fitzroy. Can't remember what the pizzas were called but they were the best take out numbers a few of us had eaten. Apparently you can order other bits to take away too. Will nb for next burnt roast. I wonder if their other place in Prahran also does take away as they are much closer to me?

Easy and nice. I really like Ladros. The pizza's are pretty damn good though yes a bit pricey but I think its warranted. My friend had the ravioli and she said it was nice. The portion size wasn't huge however so she had my piece of bread (which came free) as an extra. The wine by the glass recommended by the waiter was really nice. I like this place as its easy to have a weeknight easy catchup with girlfriends (or a date) as there's something for everyone.

This might sound cliche but this place is definately OVERRATED! SHITTEST PIZZA EVER. went there because everyone says it's good but when it came, the pizza was a burnt mess on the bottom, which made it very unpleasant to eat! topping was nice but omg talk about stingy serving! the pizza base was big and the toppings only covered half the pizza! and it's so EXPENSIVE. also got a gnocchi, boyfriend liked it! but i'm not a fan of truffle oil. also the waitress is ANNOYING and made me feel awkward. she kept coming trying to recommend these 'specials' that we weren't interested in and kept asking if we wanted 'anything else' ! like NO if i did I would of asked. clearly just trying to make a sale. never going there again. although the back area was cool! haha<br/><br/>I'm never going to try any other pizza joint again, because this place was a huge disappointment or my expectations were too high!<br/>recommend Pizza Miene on High st Northcote for EXCELLENT pizza that is tasty everytime!!

Tasty pizza. The pizza is good here always. I always enjoy it. However the service leaves a bit to be desired for the price point with average side dishes to boot. For the money you pay the food quality to value ratio is sadly lacking.

Qantas FF points - no longer offering. For those of you who are also Qantas FF points junkies, I can confirm that Ladro no longer offer points for diners :(

The food at ladro is nice but the experience is let down by the service, the wait staff are hostile and you almost feel guilty just fir dining out. The staff seem so unhappy from the moment they greet you to offering dessert, not a single smile or welcome. Food is lively but very pricy for such small portions. Will not be returning to ladro. Big let down!

Beautiful food.. Amazing tomato and spinach gnocchi and blood orange juice. <br/>great food and service.<br/><br/>the only problem is reservations, they are so busy its difficult to find a table straight off the street.

In complete contrast to Matt below, we had a great experience with service. Our waitress, Sara, was helpful & friendly and even went so far as to comp a glass of wine she'd momentarily forgotten to bring us. The food was great & the food came out quickly despite the restaurant enjoying a busy Saturday night. This was our first experience of Ladro, being new to Melbourne & we'll definitely be back.

Oh my god! Drop the attitude! This place might be good if the staff didn't have huge poles up their... (you get the drift). For better pizza and nice staff go to Baden Powell around the corner.

Amazing gnocchi but felt rushed by waitstaff. Have now been to Ladro, Collingwood twice. Both times I ate the gnocchi which was AMAZING! So tender, full of flavour. The pizzas are nice, but I am not a huge pizza fan generally so not the best to comment. The Italian donuts are delicious and a great way to end the meal if you still have room. Despite all this I am reluctant to go back to Ladro as I always feel rushed by the waitstaff. True, it is always very busy. But when I am paying that much for a pizza I don't like the feeling that all they want to do is get me out of there. They rush your drink orders as soon as you sit down then they are clearing away your plates virtually as you put the fork down. This would perhaps not be so bad if they smiled and were a bit friendlier but it just gave me the impression that they didn't really want us there despite us running up a sizable bill.

Best pizza this side of Naples according to my very fussy Neapolitan critic. Lovely friendly staff behind the bar. Great presentation & efficient turn around. Tasty, well assembled produce & more than I could finish, all for the same price you would pay for a pizza from a delivery chain. Oh, and lovely, lovely coffee to boot.

Great stuff. New in town from Sydney, I was told I must go to Ladro but my fellow Syd-siders. Had a wonderful night sipping prosecco and eating the BEST Margherita pizza I have ever eaten. Thin, a bit charred, a bit wonky but finger licking good. The service exceeded my expectations for a pizza joint, but I guess this restaurant is more than that. My date ate a very skillfully cooked steak with truffled mash which he raved about for days.....who would have thought? We shared some Italian doughnuts for dessert and I thought they were excellent. I am hooked ;)

Good food, but space can be uncomfortable. Ladro has ok food, nothing too spectacular, but what really ruined my experience was the highly bright and annoying flouro light that pours out of the kitchen onto most of the dining tables. Fluro lights = less than impressive atmosphere. Also the tables are way too close together. We had to keep reminding the woman next to us to move forward as she was practically sitting on my plate.

Okay. Service was good... didnt really like the place as in the decore... and the pizza does not leave a memorable taste... nothing to go wow about..

I came here with some friends a while ago, we didn't make a booking and hoped for the best...we did have to wait a while but let me tell you it was very much worth the wait. The staff were really good in letting us know how long it would be, once we sat down the food came out quickly and all at once.<br/><br/>It was a super tasty meal and I look forward to trying their new one on greville street

Was taken here by a foodie mate of mine. Wasn't expecting much from a pizza joint, but the ambiance was electric and the food, although simple pizzas, used quality ingredients in the right balance to create a delicious meal. Try the gamberi. You won't be disappointed.

Great atmosphere but food overrated. Good ambience, good service, pizzas aren't bad, we had the salami and the boscaiola, adequate, but they definitely aren't the best pizzas in melbourne

Whats all the fuss about. We were recommend this place 12 months ago and went with another couple (an executive chef included!). At the time we didn't know the venue was lauded for its pizzas. While the food was good it certainly didn't match the hype. This restaurant (and hype) is all about Gertrude Street and not food.

Best pizza in melbourne!!!. I have been meaning to go to Ladro ever since it opened but never seem to be able to get in. So when a friend suggested we just rock up upon the door step and wing it like she does I was in. Now I am kicking myself for not going sooner. I had a fantastic Badabing Pizza [funny name, awesome flavour] - spicey, chewy and cooked like only a wood fired oven can. My pal had a Prawn & Pea pizza which was also delicious [she doesn't eat cheese and there were heaps of options for her]. Also amazing were the bomboloni which were only $11....Also worth it if available is the house made Granita - spicey blood orange when I was in. We were rolling out of there and all for $30 a head [both had soft drinks]! Now I know why they are so busy. Oh and the service was professional and understated - not in your face. Anyone who doesn't dig this pizza must be used to Pizza Hut or suburban so called "gourmet pizza." YUK!

2 strikes. First time thought it was just a bad night, over crowded, service terrible and pizza just ordinary at best. Give benefit of the doubt - go again, it was worse!!!

The most overrated pizza joint in town. I tried this place twice and every time the pizza was a slab of dried up crust with a cheesy salty mess on top. This is a a cool place to be seen. If you want a good pizza meal look elsewhere.

Probably overrated. The pizza was good if a little salty, the wine was quite expensive but the service was very good. We sat out the back and didn't notice the noise, it was very romantic actually! I'd probably prefer to go to DOC for a second visit rather than here.

Big let-down. Ordinary pizzas that went cold too quickly. Toppings were spare and somewhat bland. Took a bit of effort to cut the pizzas with the cutter provided and wound up using the table knives. Service was top-notch though and was the saving grace. Wouldn't come back for seconds.

Really like the pizza here, it is very busy and perhaps not the best value for pasta but it is a pizzeria and the woodfired combinations are delicious ... Also do a great steak

Over rated. We were there again recently but I am sorry, this place is overrated by the critics. VERY NOISY and this was earlier in the week. I have been here at least 15 times . . . <br/><br/>Pizzas used to be great . . now they are ok but not the WOW factor for those $. Service can be good or non existent. Not consistent for my liking. Sorry but better to be truthful.

Streets ahead of other Pizzerias. Seating needs 2 be booked due to its popularity. Clear winner, hands down!

Popular Pizza Place. If you can stand the wait and the noise, this isn't a bad place for a pizza. Nice, but not sure what all the hype is about. It is after all just a pizza place. The queue forms outside from about 15 mins before it opens.

Terrible service, croweded and noisy. Food is ok but not worth the wait.

Solid pizza. Some might call it atmosphere, I call it noisy. Great service. Coming back...on a Tuesday

Just didn't do it for me. Had high expectations from word on the street: bit of a fan of gourmet pizza joints. Pizza bread dried very quickly, toppings felt a bit sparse, maybe just a little bit more. Basically, just not enough taste. But we sat out the back, in the open, as the day drew back and the night stepped out. And that was nice.

No big deal. You can go through pizza seasons, and I tried this whilst experiencing other pizzerias. I personally didn't rate it as the toppings were greasy for me. <br/><br/>But the biggest turnoff factor is the noise... it's too loud, could hardly hear myself think. All those hard surfaces, if they fix that then I'll pop my head back in.<br/><br/>I have a motto to try anything twice, so am up for a go sometime in the future.

Adam’s turning 25 in a few days and my present to him was a black Braun Buffel wallet to replace the already-dilapidated one that he’s been carrying around for years. He also requested that I do not take him to a fine-dining restaurant this year and that

Over the year I’ve heard a lot about Ladro. So expectations were high when some dear friends, GB and I went for a friday night pizza extravaganza. Let’s just say expectations were well and truly met. And my Melbourne mates were very happy to learn that a

Ladro is an absolute stalwart on the Melbourne gourmet pizza scene, having opened years ago, a little after I Carusi and around the same time as Mr. Wolf to usher in Melbourne’s new age of gourmet pizza. It still carries its hefty reputation into this foo

We'd booked a table at Ladro Gertrude in Fitzroy on a Saturday, which was a good thing as it was packed when we visited. We were shown through the front room with its big windows on to the street to a corner table in a slightly quieter and darker back room.

Ladro was one of the restaurants at the forefront of the designer pizza craze that swept through Melbourne about 5 years ago. It's still going strong despite the departure of one of the original owners/chefs Rita Macali (who's sprouted another pizza joint