Luigi Esposito came to Sydney from Naples in 2010 with the goal of bringing the culture of his hometown streets to Australia. A decade later and Luigi has opened multiple restaurants around Sydney, with another in the works.
Luigi brings Naples to Crown Street at Via Napoli, the large airy restaurant known for its traditional woodfire pizza and lavish stretches of antipasto boards.
Luigi’s passion for Italian cooking began early, at age eight, when he followed his grandparents around the streets of Naples selling pagniottiello and freshly made pizza fritta to the locals.
“My grandmother was very tough on me, she made sure I learned the right way,” Luigi told Urban Village.
Via Napoli has been on Crown Street for six years now. Their sister venue, Pizza Fritta 180, is also on Crown Street and exudes the same simple and authentic dining experience Luigi and his team are known for.
Luigi’s passion and enthusiasm for good food and community spirit has won him a slew of awards, including a place in the top 50 World’s Best Pizzas, Good Food’s Top 10 Best Pizzas in Sydney, and multiple local business awards for his franchises beyond Surry Hills, in Lan Cove and Hunters Hill.
“One of the things I love the most is our approach the customers. We’re friendly, honest and make sure everyone leaves happy,” Luigi said.
I can’t help but ask about the secret to a good pizza.
“For me, the secret to a good pizza is in the hands. With your hands you understand that the dough is ready, you understand the stretch of the pizza, you can judge the temperature of the oven. The experience in the hands is important. That’s what makes our pizza fantastic.”
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Via Napoli
628 Crown Street Surry Hills
Instagram: @vianapolipizzeria
