La disfida has to be hands down one of my favourite Italian restaurants that I’ve tried so far! Ordered the zucchini flowers which were generously filled with goats cheese and deep fried with a thin crispy batter. The Gorgonzola gnocchi melted in the mouth and was very creamy and cheese (I recommend sharing this dish as it can get quite heavy and repetitive the more bites you have). The tartufa pizza is a must!!! Very strong truffle flavour so you have to be a truffle lover and because there are very few ingredients you can really taste each ingredient! Bookings not available for parties of less than 5 which sucks and it can get quite busy on the weekends so sometimes service isn’t the best as well.
When I have had garlic pizzas at other pizza restaurants, they have a white base so I was surprised that this one had a tomato base and I really enjoyed it.
I don't know if other people agree with me, but after eating the pizza called LA MOTTA I thought I would be thirsty, but the strange thing is that I didn't
Helen Alexandra Samaryan
+5
Best pizza I have ever had in my entire life! Perfect thin wood fired base and not overloaded toppings, the house wine is also great. Highly recommend!!
A wonderful experience.
Delicious tuna and anchovies thin crust pizza, the zucchini flower stuffed with goats cheese and nuts entree was amazing...this was finished off with a creamy tiramisu (which we were delighted to discover didn’t have alcohol in it).
Great service and cosy atmosphere was the cherry on top. Highly recommend!
One of the best pizza restaurants in Sydney. The restaurant has a really cool vibe. Would recommend any of the pizzas. The creme brûlée and panna cotta dessert specials are also really good!
Nice amount of toppings on the pizza. The base was thin and crispy but the middle of the pizza got a bit soggy at the end. Ossobuca was super tender and not too heavy. Very enticing flavours that keep you wanting more. constantly changing specials that give you reason to come back :)
I loved this place when I first came here a few years ago, and I’m pleased to say that nothing has changed. Simple, pleasant, and cosy - a little piece of Italy in the inner west. Needless to say, the food is great. No fuss, and attentive service. Cent’anni!
Read so many reviews before taking my man out for his birthday here and it did not disappoint!! We ordered calamari and fried zucchini, rigatoni with lamb, cheese prosciutto and truffle pizza and the usual tiramisu for dessert. The calamari was a great starter and the fried zucchini was surprisingly nice and sweet. The lamb was so tender and went well with the rigatoni. We weren’t a fan of the truffle so it kind of ruined the pizza. Otherwise still nice. And the tiramisu was unique- super creamy and very strong coffee flavour. Overall this place had great customer service and is very family friendly! A bit on the expensive side but it was worth it.
One of the best pizza I ever had, remember to drizzle chilli oil on the side. Gnocchi bolognese was smooth. Lightning fast service. Gnocchi came out in 10min, pizza in 15 min. Yes love this restaurant, perfecto! Small portion for gnocchi though. Compared to the experience I had earlier today, this restaurant is a completely a different level. Thanks for making me feel better for serviing me with such good food and experience. Restaurant was full house too!
THE best ! Traditional vibes, delicious food and good wines what more could you want? The best in Haberfield and beyond, definitely check it out. It is quite busy so be prepared to wait a bit
A cosy restaurant Italian in the heart of Haberfield. the staff were attentive although clearly rushed off their feet. we were served promptly, the food arrived quickly and was delicious. Only criticism was that it was a bit stuffy upstairs given how crowded it was but we'd definitely go back.
Best gnocchi in sydney. Long lines but well worrth the wait. Serivice was also excellent, very friendly and helpful in explaiining specials!
Yummy! This place is great. Delicious food & generous service with nice friendly staff. It has an authentic feel and I would definitely come back here again for sure.
Delicious arancini balls and even more tasty wood fired pizza and pasta!
Great spot for an Italian dinner with a group of friends over a few vinos. Would recommend making a reservation in advance, they take walk ins but there is 20-30min wait.
Great pasta with nice ambience and great service. Had the pasta on specials, and was not disappointed. Portion size a little smaller, so have more entrees if you are starving!
My favourite Italian restaurant in Sydney. Anything they put tomato sauce on turns to gold.
The struggle is deciding what to order. Every time I go I make an effort to choose something I've had before and something different but every time I do I find something new that I have to order again.
Service is always great too.
If the eggplant is on the specials menu get it. The best gnocchi in Sydney, maybe even the world so get that too. The fig salad, you better get that as well. I wouldn't leave without eating a stuffed zucchini flower and you'd better not either.
If you're looking for authentic Italian food, La Disfida is the place to visit. Every meal was delicious and cooked with love. This is the difference between Italian and great Italian food. Attentive service, home style traditional food and great wine, there's not much more you could ask for. There's also an endless selection of specials to choose from and always an excuse to revisit and try something new.
Super delicious pizzas. Tartufa (mushrooms and prosciutto with truffle oil) is thoroughly recommended. Waiters happy to recommend a wine - their recommendation can be trusted. And to finish pannacotta, with rhubarb if they have it, is sublime. Atmosphere is fun. Prices on the high side. Service is good though it does get very busy
Global Foodie & Filmy
+3.5
Great atmosphere good food brilliant service.. But... But... But they forgot my meal 😊. Yup got all the order bit my meal.... No apology just a 'are you sure you don't want it' after I pointed it out at desert time. Quality of food and desert made up for the faux pas.
Although I'm not a fan of "two sittings" restaurants, I'll make an exception here because we were allowed to book for our table of 8. The food was super tasty and fresh and we could order additional portions for entree dishes to get equal shares per person. Service was great and food arrived in perfect intervals to share.
Very nice food. Went there and got pizza and pasta. Brilliant gnocchi and all together the overall rating for me is a 4.5/10. I would definitely recommend La Disfida.
A little taste of Italy..close your eyes and you may believe you are in Napoli..superb food great service, the only thing missing is the checkered plastic table cloths....pizza bases are light and perfectly cooked, pasta sauces authentic, and the grappa is super special. This one is definitely worth a visit.
Birthday dinner on a Sunday night, packed and buzzing. Food, phenomenal, best Italian in the inner west, and i am Italian! Gorgonzola aranchini is a knock out starter, homemade gnocchi divine and authentic Italian style pizza. Cant wait to go back. Staff fab also. Cannot recommend La Dusfida highly enough
The food was amazing. We were very comfortable. The service was excellent and very quick considering it was a very busy Sunday evening and the place was buzzing! Definitely highly recommend and we will be back! Kids loved their pizza.
Its a Saturday night and people are waiting out the door so I exercise the takeaway pizza option. Quick service considering the how busy this place shakes. I took away three pizza and they were all fine morsals. Very traditional in that they are thin and sparely topped, which I prefer. The produce was quality and sauce subtlety sweet and very tasty. Great spot, even with the abrupt bossman
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It is difficult not to have high expectations when you witness a long line of patrons waiting patiently outside a boutique restaurant in quiet Haberfield on a cold winters night. Here, no bookings are available for tables less than 5 so it is simply a matter of first in, best dressed.
Once seated we quickly ordered the daily special of veal ravioli with sage and brown butter, stuffed zucchini flowers and a pork sausage with wild mushrooms pizza. Both mains arrived in record time and were thoroughly enjoyed. The pasta was soft, full of flavour and not at all greasy. Pizza crust was crispy on the edges and just managed to hold the moist toppings of sausage and mushrooms.
Unfortunately our zucchini flowers were forgotten and it took a significant amount of time before they eventually made it out. When they did, the tender stalks had been taken too far and lost their body, whilst the batter coating the delicate flowers had over crisped. Goat cheese filling was nice but not spectacular and I wasn't particularly fond of the accompanying tomato sauce.
The panna cotta was presented with what appeared to be red wine poached pears. The panna itself was beautifully light and smooth, but again, the pears did not work for me. The powdered dusting on top also tasted oddly like ash - Perhaps it was cinnamon with icing sugar? Regardless the mains would probably have me going back again.
Amazing food as always!! Wood fire pizzas are always top notch and pasta specials are a must! Tried the pana cotta for the first time this time around and it was great! I'll be back again and again, again! Staff were super friendly once again too.
One of the best pizza places in Sydney. You're transported to Another country by their simple yet tasty woodfired pizza options. Highly recommend the Margherita. Wine list also extensive.
One of my absolute favourite restaurants! Have lined up for 45 mins in the cold to have a meal here before but it was so worth it!!
Friendly staff.
Always loved la disfida for its authentic Neapolitan pizzas. Thin based and minimal toppings the pizzas transport you to another country.. I always get the Quattro stagione (4 seasons) and it never disappoints
Love this place!! Great pizza and quick service!! Definately recommended! It's always very busy so sometimes take away is the best option! still tastes yummy as take away
Started with a lovely light duck pate followed by a great pizza and topped off with delicate almond semifreddo. The dinner most certainly lived up to the expectations accompanied by great service. I will definitely be back.
.. best pizza by far in Haberfield/Leichhardt area, and more generally some of the best pizza in Sydney. The rest of the Italian fare is solid with good specials.
Service is generally good, and ambience is warm/nice locks Italian feel.
These pizzas are great, I've tried almost all of them. My favourite is the Pork & Wild Mushroom. The Eraclio, featuring rocket and ricotta is good too. The staff are reliable and consistent and focussed on ensuring a positive customer experience.
Absolutely delicious! We had mix of dishes including, pizza, antipasto and salads. Very attentive and fast service. Great ambience. So Italian! We stumbled across this place but we'll be back! Family took a vote whether to rate it 4.5 or 5 - how can it be 5 unless perfect? But a 5 rating won the vote! Well done!
Excellent service to start with. Overall satisfaction with general ambience and interior decor.
I ordered the 'Pasta Cozze,' the mussels were undeniably fresh, sauce rich and enriched with authentic Flavour, and Al Dente cooked pasta.
The waiters were very friendly and conscientious. Overall an enjoyable experience and will be sure to return!
We have returned back to this place three times now and felt compelled to put up this review! Probably the best allround Italian in Sydney. The quattro formaggi is a must-try and all the pastas we have tried have been full of flavour and perfectly cooked.
Yum!! Fantastic authentic Italian - fresh, simple and delicious! We ordered two pizzas (margarita and la disfida), a side salad (radicchio) and two desserts (gelato and flourless chocolate torte) and loved them all. Service was fast and friendly, moderately priced. Will definitely visit again.
Known for their top notch truly authentic woodfired pizzas! Definitely ticked that box. Toppings was kept minimal and simplistic, but the quality of the ingredients speaks for itself. Extremely thin bases with a good crunch on the edges and just enough textural chewiness. The rich Herbed tomato sauce was plentiful and finger lickin good. We also had the radicchio salad which was again simple but very fresh as it should be, with generous shavings of vintage Parmesan pieces and good splashing of bold black vinegar. The red pasta with the mussels hit the spot as the sauce to me was one of the best I've ever had and there was heaps of sweet mussels to dig into! This hidden gem in the middle of Haberfield made its name famous by the love of the food they share.
Wow.. Quite simply the best meal out I have had in years. The food was considered and delicious. The service was attentive but not intrusive. You couldn't ask for more. It has put Haberfield on my map and I shall return.
Not "Napoletana" style like Via Napoli, probably closer to "Italiano" style pizza (still thin but crispier base). Still tasty though.
Gnocchi was good but order Bolognese sauce if you're not a big fan of blue cheese.
Desserts decent.
My happy place. Coming from someone that has tried and tested many of the neapolitan style pizzas in Sydney, La Disfida is quite simply one of the best. Thin bases, quality ingredients, delicious pastas and a fabulous range of daily specials. Do yourself a favour and get there.
Best pizza place in the inner west. In a neighbourhood with upward of 7 pizza places La Disfida is the stand out. Fresh simple pizzas that are absolute winners.
The pizza was the perfect combination of a traditional pizza and bruschetta, with the sweet tomatoes providing the perfect topping for a lovely light pizza. I really liked the pine nuts too, which added an extra crunch. The pizza dough was thin with a nice chewy, blistered crust.
The pizzas were deceptively light – they look quite big but as the bases are so thin, you can eat more than you think! I loved the margherita and a tomato and pinenut pizza which tasted like bruschetta.
The Tartufa pizza ($26) was the dish of the evening for me. The thin and crispy base came topped with a generous amount of prosciutto and truffle paste. The combination of the ham and truffle tasted seriously good.
Helen | Grab Your Fork
+4.5
There's only one thing you come to La Disfida for, and that's the pizza. We're talking thin crust pizzas dressed with only a smattering of topping, and baked in a traditional wood-fired oven. A firm favourite with locals, La Disfida is the family-run pizz
They serve great meals and the service is very good. Their pizzas are the best we've had, tasty, good size and great crust. We've been going to La Disfida for years now and they are always consistent. Keep up the good work, there are lots of customers who appreciate it.
My local ... 10/10 amazing no faults
Love Love Love. Our favourite Pizza place. The pizza is amazing. We usually start with an entrée special, most recently beef cheeks... spectacular. Then we follow with a Barletta pizza with prosciutto and a special pasta, this week we had wild boar Ragu. I cannot put into words how much we enjoy La Disfida. We usually go on a Saturday night, the atmosphere is fun and families and very welcome. The service is fantastic and friendly.
Great Pizza. My favourite place for Pizza. Service can be a little non existant someitmes, especially if you are seated outside! However, the pizza and pasta is so good, that you get over it!!!
Best Italian I have had in a long time. 6 of us and 2 kids all left full and happy, service great as well. Best on that strip by a country mile, and really spectacular food for the price.
Calamari excellent. Great local pizza place. Calamari was excellent. Service was quick & impressive.
Will be back. I had dinner here with friends a few nights ago and was really impressed. The service was fantastic and the food even better. We had the calamari and zucchini flower entree, pizza, gnocchi and a salad to share and everything was delicious.
Best pizza in Sydney. Hands down the best pizza in Sydney. Must try it for yourselves! Tad expensive, but worth it every now and again.
Great night out. Went there on Saturday night with a bunch of friends - quick service, GREAT food, only just slightly put off by the way one of the waitresses, perhaps the owner, was yelling at all her staff, wasn't all that pleasant to watch! But seriously good food, definitely worth getting dessert!!
Loved the authentic Italian pizza and service, a little bit of Italy :) loved it!
Sensational. The food was great it lived up to was expected - traditional no frills wood fired to perfection pizza nice and light base with a 3 toppings on top (vegetarian) was $22 i would expect to pay this a quality pizza no i have no issue with price we also had a salad as a side olive,tom,balsamic,lettuce again on the money along with a garlic pizza to start awesome ..the place was was busy and noisy and kid/friendly im taking the punt this is one of the reasons why cant wait to take my kids there as the staff were polite and helpful..backing it baking this place
Had dinner here recently. The place is deceiving looking small on the outside but quite big once you get it. Staff were lovely and attentive without being too intrusive. Staff read out the specials menu two dishes we couldn't go past was the octopus with capers olives and Napolitana sauce and the checchi salad with fennel and orange. The octopus was generous and very tasty, you can tell the octopus was actually cooked in the sauce instead of simply pouring it over. Lots of olives and a nice way to fill the hunger hole. The salad so delicious, light and fresh. Very memorable salad and will prob order again next time. We shared a pizza for main but next time will be getting our own as they are very thin. Loved this place, live so close can't believe I didn't try it sooner. Very recommended!! Haven't been this positive about a restaurant in a while. Well done :) Have been here over 20 times. Hands down best Italian in Sydney. Consistently good food.
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Love it!. We ate here twice last week. We shared polenta chips with gorgonzola sauce as an entree, my friend had one of the pasta specials, kalamarata (pasta) with prawns and Shark Bay crab meat and I had the casarecce (pasta) with fresh tomato, eggplant and salted ricotta with a side of chillis in oil. My friend's pasta was probably the standout dish, but everything was fantastic.
On our last visit we had the whitebait special, the zuchhini flowers and the veggie pizza with eggplant which our waiter recommended when I asked which was his favourite veggie pizza. Again, everything was great. I had a feeling the eggplant might way the pizza down and make the crust floppy, and while it did a little the flavour was superb.
We ate downstairs the first time and upstairs last time. Decor is warm and inviting with lots of dark timber. Looking around I noticed every diner was smiling - and there were many on both my visits - which is always a sign the food is appreciated. Staff are friendly and welcoming, and you can BYOB.
Looking forward to eating here again.
I liked it. Despite the mixed reviews, my experience here was a good one. The food was great, and the staff were very pleasant.
Fantastic!. Great pizzas, friendly staff, and such nice desserts. The dessert specials when I came included a raspberry creme brulee. OMG, too die for! I came back two days later for another one it was so good.
Definitely a great pick if you're in Haberfield.
My idea of heaven. Been 3 times in the past 6 months, loved the meal everytime. The ambience, food and service all reminds of being in Italy. For me, the Pizza and dessert is the greatest part of the dining experience. Sure it gets a little noisy, is a little cramped and doesn't have a lot of airflow, but that all adds to the charm. Oh, and spotted a 'hollywood' film star leaving as we arrived for our last visit! If arriving after 7pm, be prepared to stand waiting for a table though.
La disfida is my idea of a perfect restaurant- good food and wonderful ambience. Waitstaff are always welcoming, the pizza crusts are delightfully thin, and I look forward to working my way through their tasty entrees and desserts! Perfect date restaurant. (and from the looks of other clientele- perfect family/group of friends dinner spot too)
Like it? LOVE IT!. Great service, unbelievable wine list, amazing new menu but same great pizzas. Will definately be going back to taste some of the other great items on the menu. Thanks for a great night.
Autentico. Obviously "sharynny" is accustomed to eating spaghetti bolognese else she would assess that La Disfida, under new ownership, serves the sort of tasty, simple pasta you eat in any great trattoria in Italy. And I should know, because I have just returned from living in Italy for the past seven years. When we visited there in late January we shared some amazing antipasto, including a seared tuna drizzled in pesto and olives, and panzanella - a take on the Tuscan dish of bread served with olives and buffalo mozzarella that is imported from Naples. As for the pasta; that was delicious too, linguine with mussels and clams with a subtle garlic flavour (far too many restaurants here are heavy handed on the garlic) and my favourite pasta, penne with fried eggplant, tomato and baked ricotta with lashings of fresh basil. Disregard "sharynny's" hastily written and unimaginative sentences, La Disfida is the place to go for authentic Italian fare in Sydney.
Best pizza in Sydney. No doubt about it. And for a great price too.
Great food and exceptional service! My partner and I were impressed with their service, it was a 5 star from when we got there till the end. They offered us to keep our papas cake we bought next door in their fridge, asked if wanted bread for the gnocchi sauce and provided ice cubes with tap water - very attentive and kind gesture of them. Food was very nice too. La Disfida has become my no.1 local Italian restaurant.
Fantastic Italian food and fast service 👏👏 I’m so happy I was finally able to try La Disfida! Without a table booking for a Saturday night, we would’ve been turned away again as it was quite packed. We arrived 15 minutes earlier than our booking time but our table was ready and we were quickly seated.
We ordered the tartufa pizza which was a smashing combination of cheese, mushroom, prosciutto and truffle! The gnocchi dish featured soft pillowy pasta bathed in intense cheesey goodness. Finally, the mussel spaghetti is not to be forgotten as it was bursting with flavour- the marinara sauce clung well to every strand of pasta and mussel meat. A glass of chilled white wine paired nicely with these dishes. Although we didn’t end up staying for dessert, I would’ve liked to try their tiramisu.
Overall, I would definitely recommend this place to others and be more than happy to come back to try more :)
(Apologies for the shocker photo due to dim lighting! Other google reviews do it better 🥴)
Bruno Lobato da Jornada
+5
Absolutely phenomenal dinner experience.
Food was insanely tasty, arguably the best tomato sauce I’ve ever tried on a pizza, and the softest, most perfectly made gnocchi, just melts in your mouth!
And the rhubarb pannacotta was sublime!!!
Great service, great atmosphere, everything was superb. Thanks for the dinner.
5/5
We haven't been here for almost 20 years and it lived up to our memory. Excellent pizza, warm and speedy service, bustling family atmosphere. You can now make reservations which helps keeps things orderly and easier for families. Best pizza!
Get your pizza and pasta fix from this fantastic local gem! Great food, quick service, and a top spot. Wood fired pizzas with a thin base, packed with flavor and a delicious tomato base. Be sure to book as this place can get quite busy all week long.
Really great pizzas. There was an awesome vibe at this place. The food was honest and tasty, the pizzas thin and toppings well distributed. Would recommend
The food here is just exquisite. The timings limitations on weekends for upstairs is strict 1.5 hours which the warn you about in advance. I can't fault it the service bu staff was so good
We had the ravioli Special with truffle 4 cheese pizza, zucchini flowers and eggplant involtini. I had a whisky based negroni. Can't wait to go back
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