PROFILED BY DE GROOTS MEDIAChristo’s Five Ways Pizzeria has been supplying Paddington locals with pizza for over 20 years, but that doesn’t mean that you should expect the sort of kitsch décor that comes along with many of Christo’s pizza peddling counterparts around the same age. Christo’s Five Ways Pizzeria is a sleek yet simple restaurant, with a friendly sort of vibe that has kept regulars returning over the last two decades. The main dining room sports olive green walls and wooden floors, which would make the room rather dark if it weren’t for the large picture windows overlooking the Five Ways streetscape and the most amazing orbs overhead comprised entirely of empty Chinotto bottles.
Christo’s jazzed up the restaurant last year, adding a groovy little bar to one side of the restaurant, the ideal spot to drop in for a cocktail or glass of wine before settling in to sample the menu of classic Italian pizzeria style fare. Pizza is what it’s all about here and Christo’s offers a classic menu and quite a few gourmet options as well at prices that won’t empty out the wallet. All of the pizzas have a thin and crispy base and are absolutely loaded with toppings; for those that like a bit of fire in their belly the El Diablo is an explosion of all things spicy, with chorizo, Spanish onion, fetta, jalapenos, chilli, tomato and mozzarella cheese. The lamb pizza is quite famous amongst those in the know, laden with tender lamb, roast pumpkin, fetta cheese, olives, tzatziki, tomato and mozzarella. Christo’s also do tasty pasta dishes and for dessert, make your choice from the gelato cabinet in which they keep 35 different gelato flavours in rotation.
Amy Looker, September 2007
