Redfern’s Regina La Pizzeria has received Gambero Rosso’s top three-slice recognition, a major international honour from the Italian food and wine guide that places the Wunderlich Lane venue among a very small group of Australian pizzerias recognised at that level.
Redfern Pizzeria Earns Top Gambero Rosso Recognition
Redfern’s Regina La Pizzeria has received Gambero Rosso’s top three-slice recognition, placing the Wunderlich Lane venue among a small number of Australian pizzerias recognised at that level.
Gambero Rosso is regarded as a major benchmark for Italian food and wine, with its Top Italian Restaurants guide looking beyond popularity or trend-driven dining. The guide recognises venues that contribute to Italian dining culture through technique, ingredient quality, service and a clear connection to Italian tradition.
For a pizzeria, that kind of recognition carries particular weight. It puts close attention on the parts of pizza that are easy to overlook but difficult to master: the dough, the crust, the bake, the balance of toppings and the consistency of the overall dining experience. The guide’s Sydney coverage also points to a more discerning Italian food scene, where diners are paying closer attention to dough, texture and how seriously a kitchen treats the craft.
Regina La Pizzeria received the honour in May, about a year after opening in Wunderlich Lane. The three-slice rating gives the Redfern restaurant a wider profile built on more than one standout dish. It recognises a broader pizza program shaped by long fermentation, multiple pizza styles, ingredient quality and a contemporary approach to Italian dining.
For Regina, the award turns the focus back to the work behind the counter. The finished pizzas may be what reach the table, but the recognition points to the process behind them: how the dough is handled, how each style is baked, and how the restaurant has positioned itself within Sydney’s growing Italian dining scene.
Dough Is The Foundation At Regina La Pizzeria
Regina La Pizzeria is located at 2 Baptist Street, a dining precinct that also includes restaurants, bars, a hotel and food retailers. Inside that setting, Regina has built its identity around contemporary Italian pizza rather than a single traditional style.
The venue is led by pizza chef Matteo Ernandes and Michela Boncagni. Ernandes, formerly associated with Matteo and Da Orazio, grew up around his family’s pizzeria on the Sicilian island of Lampedusa. At Regina, his work centres on dough structure, fermentation and texture.
Boncagni, a co-owner of LuMi Dining, brings more than 15 years of sommelier experience to the restaurant. Her background shapes the drinks, service and broader hospitality approach, giving Regina the feel of a modern Italian eatery rather than a takeaway-led pizza shop.
At the centre of the kitchen is Australia’s first Fazzone oven, crafted in Naples, Italy. The oven supports the venue’s focus on pizzas with a crisp outer texture and tender interior, while allowing the kitchen to work across several pizza styles.
Multiple Pizza Styles Under One Roof
Regina’s menu moves across several pizza styles rather than staying with a single tradition. The kitchen works with high-hydration contemporary bases, pan-baked padellino, twice-cooked fritta, classic pizzas and speciali, giving the Redfern venue a broader pizza program than a standard neighbourhood pizzeria.
Among the twice-cooked pizzas is the Bellucci, finished with stracciatella, mortadella and macadamia rocket pesto. The Diavola leans into San Marzano tomato, fior di latte, spicy salami, roasted capsicum and nduja, while the Versace brings together king prawns, fior di latte, candied tomatoes, bottarga di Pilu, confit garlic, capers, parsley and chilli oil.
The wider list ranges from pan-baked Mastroianni and Vasco to classics such as Margherita, Capricciosa, Marinara and Calzone. Regina’s speciali section includes Carrá, Bocelli, Vitti, Pavarotti, Del Piero and Rossi, rounding out a menu built around variation, texture and dough technique.
More Than A Pizza Menu
Although pizza is the centrepiece, Regina La Pizzeria’s menu extends into a fuller Italian dining offering. Starters include crostino di terra, crostino di mare, mini buns, schiacciata and misto salumi, while the fried section includes calamari, zucchini flowers, fries, sweet potato and suppli rossi.
The pasta and mains section includes spaghetti alla chitarra cacio e pepe, rigatoni spicy vodka, fettuccine al ragu, gnocchi al pomodoro and baby peri peri spatchcock. Desserts include tiramisu, cannoli, Illy crema and a chocolate padellino served with vanilla mascarpone, mixed berries and hazelnuts.
The restaurant has also listed a scrocchiarella night every Tuesday from June 9, adding a Roman-style pizza known for its thin, crisp, low-hydration base to the venue’s dough-focused offering.
Behind the award is a kitchen built around long fermentation, multiple pizza styles, an Italian-built oven and a menu that treats dough as the centre of the dining experience.
Published 10-June-2026
