Lil Franky Pizzeria — Restaurant in Sydney

OH MY GOD, this pizza joint blew my mind. Dang. WOW, just… wow. It’s been a while I’m blown away hence it deserves a review!

It really feels like you’re dining at a warm, and loving home. I have not been to Italy before in my life but I feel that I was transported to it. We received a slice of a hospitable “Italian welcome”!

Francesco (the owner) is incredibly welcoming. I cannot stop reiterating this. Plus, the rest of the staffs were stellar to a tee. The staffs we interacted with were absolute gems.

My husband and I were still kindly accommodated despite our last minute walk-in; which we didn’t realize we should have booked a table. (That’s a lesson for us next time.) We sat at the bar counter which did have the best view of all the action. I’m a total sucker when it comes to watching meal-prepping at an open kitchen.

The venue is bustling with high-energy kind of music, brightly lit (I appreciate it) and the overall energy is incredibly amazing here. The level of merry-making is something I was not expecting at all.

The pizzas we ordered were all a home run. Ordered the Diavola (added a burrata) and Marcolino. I’m very picky when it comes to pizzas and this place did not disappoint. We also ordered the Pistachio TiramiUP , limoncello, limonata. Though the icing on the cake was truly interacting with the man himself- Francesco. Boy oh boy, we received some on-the-house shots which were thankful for.

This kind of hospitality is honestly so refreshing. Francesco really makes it a point to get to know his customers personally which I’m so wowed by. I thought I’ve seen the best of hospo in Sydney but this takes the cake. Or pizza. All in all, we were so lucky to have a great dining experience and grateful for the opportunity to dine in as it was our first time too. Still gonna recommend to everyone I know!

Thanks a lot for the great work, Francesco and the rest of the team! Please keep it up. Complimenti, molto ben fatto! I’m looking forward to my next visit. I intend to try other pizzas and give the...

A vibey pizzeria in the heart of Tempe that's perfect for a casual dine-in experience, if you're looking for simple and tasty this restaurant certainly delivers. The staff were very hospitable and welcoming so the atmosphere of the restaurant is quite comfortable!

However, it was a surprise to discover that we were charged $5.50 for the water. Now, normally this would be no issue if it was clear from the get go that the water would not be free from the moment you sit down - however, the bottle was placed immediately on the table with no mention as to the cost associated with the water so seeing the charge come up on the bill was extremely surprising. Upon reviewing similar reviews left commenting on the water charge, the restaurant states that it is clearly labelled on the menu. I double checked this and while it is indeed on the menu, it is in incredibly fine print and below public holiday/surcharge information which is not normally looked at unless one is aware they're dining during a common surcharge period. If the "unlimited filtered water" is such a part of the service offering then surely it would be advertised as a benefit, no?

As a licensed venue, surely you are required at all times to have free water available so I am confused about this service offering if it is not being made clear that you're being charged? Is this not somewhat deceptive as a practice?

I was so ready to leave this restaurant with a glowing review because of the food and hospitality but I cannot help but feel disappointed. It feels dishonest and I would appreciate if the restaurant made more efforts to make this clearer to customers.

I look forward to dining again with Lil Franky's when I feel properly informed about the service I am receiving and hope to see this reflected in their future business practices. The food is great and staff lovely, so this is just...

Lil Franky oozes hospitality, with brothers Franky and Mattia a big part of the attraction at this new Tempe pizzeria. The first thing I noticed while driving down the Princes Highway was the sign’s clever font work. Intrigued enough to look them up online, I saw nicely blistered, wood-fired pizza bases, and resolved to pay them a visit. As a starter, Lil Franky’s fluffy clouds ($18/3)—or gnocco fritto—are fried golden pillows of lard-enriched dough. They come with three different toppings: San Marzano tomatoes with Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, smoked cheese and prosciutto, and—my favourite—truffled ricotta and marinated eggplant.

Team them with your favourite tipple from a succinct booze list boasting three cocktails, one red, one white and one pink wine, and a couple of beers. The Negroni ($18) and the pinot grigio ($12/glass) were both affable pizza companions. So is a super simple salad of fresh creamy burrata, tomatoes and basil ($18).

While Southern Italians are best known for pizza rosse (red-based pizza) the single page menu does offer up three pizza bianche (white-based pizza). I bucked tradition for a 13-inch Don Mario ($29) that teamed thin slices of porchetta, smoked cheese and wafer-thin rosemary potatoes on a well-charred base that was both puffy and light. Heeding Francesco’s recommendation, we teamed a single shared pizza with homemade gnocchi ($31) where six plump potato dumplings stuffed with truffle paste came dressed only in fresh basil, Parmigiano-Reggiano and extra virgin olive oil. Lil Franky is a spot where simple food made with love and delivered with genuine hospitality...