Roza’s Kitchen - Pizza, Burgers, Pasta — Restaurant in Melbourne

An easy no booking ‘walk in’ on a weekday early evening. Clean and tidy, a small alfresco dining area on the footpath (alongside busy City Road). We decided to dine inside and move a little further away from the constant traffic stream, despite it being a lovely evening outside.

“Please order at the counter”, the menu advised. Hmm, not a ‘full service’ restaurant then. Never mind, we can cope with that.

Two wines to start. Only a single white (Sav’ blanc) and a single red (Shiraz) ‘by the glass’. A slightly more extensive range ‘by the bottle’. We settle for the full range of ‘by the glass’ … one white one red. Both adequately acceptable.

One Capricciosa pizza, crispy base, add anchovies, $AU24.00, one ‘garlic prawns (6 pieces) and rice’ main, $AU34.00.

Prawns and rice remarkably good. Sauce not excessively ‘garlicky’ (good), prawns and rice both cooked perfectly. Quantity of prawns (for $34.00), somewhat ‘mean’ … prawns aren’t a particularly pricey foodstuff in Australia.

Capricciosa pizza … rubbish. Apart from being round, not the slightest resemblance to a ‘Capricciosa’ pizza. The ‘crispy’ base had the texture of a damp piece of cardboard. There were no artichoke hearts and there was no ‘shaved’ Prosciutto Crudo or Parma (ham). Just an enormous thick mat of commercially (I suspect) shredded (matchstick style) ham (?), and an excessive amount of commercially (I suspect) chopped black olive. Tasted disgusting. We left five of the eight slices.

Footnote: We should have ‘clicked’ on sighting the enormously extensive and reasonably priced menu that this was not an ‘Italian’ pizza and pasta restaurant. It’s a South Asian variation … increasingly common down this end of the planet. That’s not necessarily bad, if you happen to prefer this heavily altered style of ‘Italian’ … but if you crave ‘proper Italian … and Melbourne has some ‘really good proper Italian’, generally run by Italian bloodstock … avoid vastly extensive, budget priced, pseudo ‘Italian...

A slice of heaven

Last night, I embarked on a culinary pilgrimage—a molten, mozzarella-laced adventure that began with a whisper of oregano and ended in a symphony of crust and cheese. This wasn’t just pizza. This was a love letter from the gods of dough and fire.

The crust? A masterpiece of contrast. Crispy enough to sing when snapped, yet yielding to the bite with a soft, almost cloudlike chew. Whoever manned the oven wasn’t just a cook—they were a conductor, orchestrating a perfect bake.

Tomato sauce, ah, the unsung hero. Not just spread, but painted, like frescoes on warm marble. Bright, tangy, and sun-kissed—imagine San Marzano tomatoes being serenaded by garlic in a Tuscan villa.

And the cheese. Oh, the cheese. A molten quilt of mozzarella, stretching with theatrical flair and pooling into golden, blistered galaxies. Add to that a scattering of pepperoni that curled into crispy little chalices of flavour—each one a tiny, spicy cup of joy.

But the crown jewel? A drizzle of truffle honey. Sweet. Earthy. Unexpected. It turned every bite into a contradiction—a glorious dance between rustic and refined, fire and finesse.

In the end, I didn’t just eat pizza. I had an epiphany. And for a brief, beautiful moment, the world was made of dough, sauce, and the soft hum of contentment.

Rating: 5/5 celestial slices. Would eat...

If you're looking for delicious pizza, look no further than Roza’s kitchen! This cozy little Italian joint has quickly become one of my favorite pizza places in town.

The pizza is simply out of this world. The crust is thin and crispy, with just the right amount of chewiness, and the sauce is rich and flavorful. They use only the freshest, highest-quality toppings, and you can really taste the difference. Whether you're a fan of classic toppings like pepperoni and mushrooms, or you like to get a little more adventurous with your pizza, Roza’s pizza has got you covered.

But it's not just the pizza that keeps me coming back to this place. The service is always friendly and attentive, and the atmosphere is cozy and welcoming. It's the perfect spot for a casual dinner with friends or family.

And the prices are extremely reasonable, especially given the quality of the food. You can easily feed a family or a group of friends without breaking the bank.

Overall, I would highly recommend Roza’s pizza to anyone who loves great pizza and a warm, welcoming atmosphere. Give it a try - you won't be...