Papalino's Pizza — Restaurant in Melbourne

I have no idea what kind of place they are running here but we came in at 11:00pm on a Monday night, an hour before closing time, and ordered one medium pizza. Now I work at a pizza place so when they said 20 minutes I was like ok, a little slow but ok, 15 minutes later I’m looking over and what I think is our pizza has just been put in the oven, ok very late into the oven but maybe it’s a quick oven, 10 minutes after that I’m wondering if it’s come out yet, I look over and they say it’s 4 minutes away, odd, I think, it shouldn’t take this long for one medium pizza but ok, it’s only 11:25 and our train comes at 11:35 so we have time. Fast forward it’s now 11:33, we need to get going so we ask again, hey just take the pizza out now, doesn’t matter if it’s undercooked we need to go, they say it will be 4 minutes. Perplexed I wonder where on earth these times are coming from what happened to that pizza they threw 10 minutes ago, wasn’t that ours? I look over at the end of the oven and there it is a medium pizza sitting at then end of the oven but it’s not ours? No one else was in the place it was just us so why was this pizza thrown in and not ours. And the worst part is, the fact that wasn’t our pizza, our pizza hasn’t even been put in yet, they had just thrown in another pizza that again wasn’t ours so what was going on, there are three people working at the moment and in the last 35 minutes they couldn’t even be bothered to make one medium pizza and throw it in. So we grab a refund and run for the station and the train has just pulled away. Seriously I don’t know what the pizza tastes like here or if it’s worth the money, all I know is that if you want a timely dinner go elsewhere, the guys here have no clue what...

Date of Visit: 26 June 2024

The review reflects my personal experience and honest opinion. It's available on both Google and Instagram.

After watching a movie at the Astor Theatre, my parter and I were in need of a bite to eat. We noticed Papalino's Pizza was open and, after quickly reading some reviews, decided to give it a try.

For starters, the customer service was good—friendly and quick. They offered a pretty big range of pizzas to choose from.

However, I must say that overall, we were very disappointed to the point we couldn't finish our meal. The pizza base was extremely thin and rubbery, lacking both toppings and flavor.

We ordered garlic bread and the Pinocchio's pizza (BBQ pork sausage, tomato, onion, mozzarella, parsley, oregano, spring onions, and garlic). I know they say with pizza, less is best, but this was extreme. The pizza completely lacked flavor. It seemed to have only about two tablespoons of cheese, a smidge of spring onion, and the so-called pork sausage tasted like a cheap Frankfurt from a supermarket deli—it didn't taste like pork sausage at all.

The garlic bread was your typical pizza shop style and was nicely cooked.

Overall, I was very disappointed. I love my pizzas and have eaten many over the years, but I wouldn't return to this store.

Food Quality:1/5 Service:5/5 Ambience: 3/5 Value for Money:2/5 Cleanliness and Hygiene:3/5 Innovation and...

I’ve been to Papalino’s few times now, and every visit just confirms how good their food is. The Tandoori Paneer pizza is honestly next-level perfectly baked base, smoky tandoori flavor, and generous cubes of soft paneer that melt into the sauce. The balance of spice and cheese is spot on; you get that classic tandoori kick without it being overpowering.

The Tandoori Chaap deserves its own shout-out. Juicy, full of flavor, and grilled just right. You can actually taste the marination it’s not the usual bland version you find elsewhere. It pairs perfectly with their mint chutney and a cold drink.

What I really like about Paplino’s is how fresh everything tastes and how friendly the staff are. You can tell they care about both flavor and service. It’s the kind of place that turns into your go-to after one visit.

If you’re anywhere near Chapel Street and craving something different, Indian flavors with a creative twist you need to try Paplenoo. Especially that Tandoori Paneer pizza and Tandoori chaap pizza....