Located within the Hamilton Plaza precinct on Beaumont St, sits authentic Italian restaurant, In Forno, and the man behind In Forno, Harry, has a passion for Italian food, in particular, the way in which pizzas are made, right from the flour used to the final touches of toppings.

“I’ve been very keen on Italian cuisine especially the pizzas. I love the way that Naples in Italy does their pizzas. I used to watch videos from Italians on how to make pizzas. But I don’t speak or understand the language so my friend who is Italian would sit with me and translate everything for me.”

Using the world’s best flour, Caputo which is made right in the heart of the city of pizza, has been specifically designed to make the perfect pizzas, which is exactly how all the best bases for authentic Italian pizzas are created.

“There was a couple in here the other day that had four pizzas between them. The pizzas are 260g of dough so with four that’s over 1kg of dough. You can’t usually eat so much flour, but if it’s rightly done, you can eat a lot of pizza because it’s easily digested.”

Harry has been building In Forno up and perfecting the ultimate recipe for his pizza bases the past six years, so ordering a pizza (or two) you’ll know it’s going to hit the spot.

Officially opening their doors on the 11^th December 2020, In Forno has been quietly finding its feet over the past few weeks whilst locals wandered in and those looking for a new foodie adventure landed on the Italian restaurant’s doorstep, obviously with much delight!

The space itself consists of both indoor and outdoor seating, so you can enjoy a long boozy summer lunch under the low hanging plants in the courtyard or head inside for a warm beverage in the cooler months. That big brick wall is certainly giving diners their first jaw-drop moment and learning about how they came to be here, you can understand why.

“These bricks are all over 150 years old. They were shipped up here from Sydney for a house reno project in Toronto and they had all of these leftovers.”

One glance over the food and drink menu is where that second jaw-drop moment comes into play. With pizzas options galore and a delectable selection of starters and pasta dishes making themselves known; waiter, can we order one of everything please?

To get started we’d recommend the Italian staple Arancini balls with cheese and Boscaiola served with pesto cream alongside the tantalising Woodfire Sticks topped with garlic and herbs and choosing two of the following dip options; mozzarella curd, napolitana, creamed, or Genovese pesto.

Choose from the three salad options to sit alongside your pizzas; Rocket Salad with parmesan cherry tomato, black olives, and balsamic, Mix Salad with mixed leaf, cucumber, cherry tomatoes, red onion, roasted capsicum, olives, and poppy seed dressing, and the Caesar Salad with cos lettuce, bacon, croutons, and Caesar dressing.

Now to the pizzas, with over 15 to choose from and a pizza special on offer every day, you’re certain to find something to suit your tastebuds. Our picks? The traditional Margherita with tomato pulp, Fior Di Latte parmesan, and basil (picked directly from the garden) with optional extras including buffalo Mozzarella, prosciutto di parma, and vegan cheese. Our second pick was the Gorgonzola Dolce made on a white base with gorgonzola dolce cream, Fior di latte, leg ham, and mushroom served with house-made pistachio cream.

“We use all fresh cheese not frozen. Our supplier is in Sydney and they have their own cheese factory, and they make fresh Burrata. It tastes incredible!”

Wash all that Italian feasting down with an Italian beverage, whether it be an Aperol Spritz, Lemon Drop Martini, or a traditional Italian coffee with beans from Sydney-based coffee roastery; Schibello.

“Schibello is run by two Italian brothers. They even have their own coffee school. Before we even opened, I worked hard to find the right suppliers, and these guys were one of them. We have two different blends, a single-origin which we use for espressos and piccolos and the shorty which we use for all of the milk-based coffees.”

So, next time you’re up for an Italian feast or even in the neighbourhood looking for a delicious feed, head into In Forno in Hamilton Plaza on Beaumont St and give Newcastle’s newest Authentic Italian joint a try!