It’s Ace!

So no points for headline originality, but it’s the best one to sum up my experience at Ace Pizza, which has just opened up on the former Barolo site on Beaufort Street in Highgate.  First up, whilst it does serve those delicious wood-fired dough based things, don’t be fooled into thinking that this is a just a local pizza joint – it’s much more than that.  In fact, on the night I went,  my dining companion and I didn’t eat one piece of pizza (the lack of gluten free bases – that and the small tables being my only gripe – being the main reason) but that worked out for the best because we instead focused on the dishes under the title of  “Wood Grilled Things” which I think puts Ace Pizza way ahead of  your normal suburban pizza focused restaurant – I’d even go as far as saying that the addition of “Pizza” to the name obscures what this place seems to be about really – simple but fantastic food cooked in a wood fired oven served in a really cool atmosphere with great drinks and service.  The menu isn’t exhaustive, but very well edited, with a thoughtful but not overwhelming selection (which you’d expect when it comes from the same team behind Cantina and el Publico).  Wine comes by the glass, half carafe (yay yay yay) or bottle and there’s a selection of cocktails, beers and ciders as you’d expect from a restaurant on this strip. The standouts of our meal were the “beets n salted ricotta” – one of the best salads I’ve eaten in ages, the “flat iron quail and fennel” and the special of the day which was a slow cooked rib of beef that was absolutely melt in the mouth tender.  Our bill for 2 for four dishes and a half carafe of wine was just over $115 and we waddled out happy and fully sated. PS – I don’t think I’d take the kids here unless they’re older or pretty adventurous with their food (you won’t find cheese pizza or kids meals here – take them to Crust instead),  this is a pizza/wood fired food place that’s squarely aimed at a more discerning adult crowd and palate and yet doesn’t overdo it – a bit like its sister restaurants – another great addition to the Beaufort Street Strip.