Pizza Officina opens in Braddon, serving pizza with a side of ’80s car culture

Posted on 17 December, 2025

Hidden behind a garage door on Lonsdale Street, Braddon’s newest pizzeria Officina draws on the cars, garages and pop culture of the 1980s to create a casual, workshop-style pizza spot that feels equal parts nostalgic and modern.

The venue is the latest offering from the newly formed ‘The Goodlife’ Hospitality Group, the team behind Terra, Bar Outro and Recess Coffee, and sits discreetly beside brother venue Bar Outro.

Pizza Officina is a direct nod to the building’s former life. Officina translates to ‘workshop’ or ‘factory’ in Italian, a fitting description for a space now dedicated to pizza.

“It’s a play on the fact that this used to be a mechanic’s workshop, but now it’s a pizza workshop,” says owner Anthony Iannelli.

The approach is intentionally relaxed. There’s no table service, no expectation of knives and forks and no formality. Guests grab their own cutlery, share plates, and focus on what matters most.

“I don’t want people to walk in expecting a formal dining experience,” says Iannelli. “This is cruisy and casual.”

Behind the menu is a tight-knit team of serious pizza obsessives, including Picco (well known locally as the former head pizza chef at Bada Bing), alongside Anthony and his wife Kristin, and group executive chef Sungyeol “Sunga” Son.

“What’s the saying about needing to practice 10,000 hours of something to become an expert at it?” says Iannelli. “I reckon we’ve eaten about 10,000 pizzas over the years, so hopefully that accounts for something!”

The dough is a 48-hour fermented sourdough base, forming the foundation for a concise offering of seven classic pizzas, seven custom creations, and a small selection of nostalgic snacks.

Standout custom pizzas include Michelangelo’s Pepperoni, inspired by the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles cartoon of the ’80s. It features San Marzano tomato, fior di latte, pepperoni, white onion, Calabrian chilli and parmesan, finished with whipped cream served in a can at the table so diners can add as much (or as little) as they like.

Another crowd favourite is the Big Mac pizza, a surprisingly accurate homage built with wagyu beef, fior di latte, burger cheese, pickles, white onion, mac sauce, iceberg lettuce and a sesame seed crust.

The classics are equally considered, including a mortadella topped with whipped ricotta, green olive salsa, stracciatella, crushed pistachio and extra virgin olive oil, and a diavola layered with San Marzano tomato, fior di latte, basil, hot sopressa, nduja, pickled chilli, hot honey and parmesan.

“Personally, I think the crust is delicious, but I know not everyone shares the same sentiment, so we’ve created some dipping sauces to ensure it doesn’t go to waste!” says Iannelli. “These are crusts you will want to eat.”

Those sauces include hot honey, chilli oil, jalapeno mayo and garlic mayo. The garlic bread leans heavily into nostalgia too, inspired by classic takeaway versions but elevated with soft dough, plenty of butter and garlic and a crisp exterior.

Dietary requirements are well catered for, with gluten-free bases and vegan cheese available. Desserts include a pizza dolce topped with dulce de leche, mascarpone, strawberries and hazelnuts, as well as a tiramisu that Iannelli describes as being almost as good as Nonna’s.

While the food takes centre stage, the space quietly reinforces the venue’s undercover appeal. The interiors draw on ’80s and ’90s car culture, with vintage posters reminiscent of childhood bedrooms and Dad’s garages, and reused Terra tables grounding the space in familiarity.

Towering throughout the venue is a pair of original JBL cinema speakers, each standing more than six feet tall. On the big screen, famous pizza scenes from film are spliced with ’80s automotive footage and clips from The Sopranos, playing on rotation and nodding to the venue’s discreet, almost secretive energy. It’s a subtle reference to what happens inside the garage once the door rolls up—something a little underground, a little unexpected, and very much intentional.

The drinks list follows the same trajectory as its sibling venues, with a natural-leaning wine list (ft. Lambrusco by the glass!), beers and a solid cocktail offering from group beverage director Hamish Piper, built to pair easily with pizza and group dining.