The word ‘authentic’ gets bandied around a little too liberally these days, but Burleigh Heads’ brand-new Italian bar Crispy is the definition of authentic. The venue is the handiwork of mates Matteo Tricarico and Riccardo Proserpio, who wanted to share their cuisine and culture and fill the panini-shaped void in our collective hearts with mouth-watering Italian cuisine, coffee at any time of the day and aperitivos at sunset. Transforming the space formerly occupied by The Don, Crispy quietly opened its doors on Thursday last week, catching the attention of passers by with red-and-white striped umbrellas, festoon lighting and Calabrian chilli logo (a nod to southern Italy). “We felt like Burleigh was missing a proper Italian bar,” Matteo said. “An Italian bar, for us, is a place you can enjoy all of the moments of the day, from 6:00 am to 10:00 pm. Our purpose is to introduce the essence of our traditional Italian bars to the Gold Coast.”

When it comes to the menu, the daytime offering includes 10 different paninis, ranging from the classic Panino Goloso (melted mozzarella, shaved leg ham, mushrooms, artichokes and Crispy sauce) to the De Roma (pancetta, carbonara cream, mozzarella, salami and herb mayonnaise). As the name suggests, the paninis are delightfully crisp on the outside and packed with oozy cheese and flavour on the inside. Wash it down with a Nutellino (Nutella, coffee shot and whipped cream) or a fresh juice. Then, as the day wears on, the menu flips to include a scattering of pizzas that Matteo says are based around the classic Neapolitan style, but with the bonus of being crisp at the bottom. “I wanted to create something that looks like a Neapolitan pizza, but crunchy,” Matteo says. The pizza is cooked to crisp perfection in the venue’s woodfired oven, resulting in that perfectly charred crust. And no, before you ask, there’s no pineapple on any of the pizzas. What you will find is a selection of locally sourced ingredients such as prosciutto, Calabrian chilli and salami. Accompanying the fare is a scattering of beers and wine alongside an Italian-focussed cocktail selection including all of the classics – Aperol Spritz, Limoncello spritz, tiramisu martini and a section for digestivos such as Amaretto and Frangelico. 

Crispy Italian Bar is now open! Skip over to our Stumble Guide for opening times.