Russel’s Pizza

By Franz Scheurer

Although it’s in the centre of town, set back from the main street in Willunga, you’d never know it’s there unless someone tells you about it. Once you know it’s there you are faced with the challenge of getting a table, as it’s immensely popular. Russel’s is a restaurant with a difference. Open only on weekends, it consists of a number of dining rooms spread over a couple of rickety old buildings and several wood burning ovens. The furniture is solid wood, the fire in the courtyard burns wood and all food is cooked in wood fired ovens. When you walk in you are welcomed by the smell of smoke and it feels a little like taking part in a large BBQ at someone’s house. The theme is eating until you’re full with two courses for $27 and three courses for $30 and the fare is wood-fired pizzas.

Start with an appetiser of fresh bread, dukkah, good olive oil and a salad of roasted vegetables with goats curd and tapenade. Sitting around the fire in the dark, tree-covered and fairy-lit courtyard, the atmosphere is bacchanalian and conducive to the raising of the wrist.

Retiring into one of the many small rooms our group is ready for the pizzas. We’ve ordered a ‘Napoli’ (tomato, olive, basil, fresh buffalo mozzarella), an ‘Anchovy Special’ (onion, olives, capsicum, zucchini and anchovies), a chunky and traditionally shaped ‘Chilli Chicken Turkish’ (chicken, chilli, yoghurt, pickled lime, fresh tomato and coriander) a daily special with speck, gorgonzola dolce and walnuts and finally a ‘Seafood’ (Leek, olives, squid, prawns, mussels, cheese and oysters in the half shell).

Even for the seven of us this proves to be far too much food. The pizzas are thin and crusty with that unmistakable smoky aroma that only a wood-fired oven can impart (no gas used here to ‘safe guard’ the oven temperature) and the ingredients are fresh, well chosen and tasty.

Although licensed, they allow BYO. Prices are very reasonable and the atmosphere is great. No wonder this is so popular. Russel Jeavons’ fine dining restaurant background no doubt helps in the selection of ingredients and his team, seemingly the whole town’s ultra young, are quick, willing and obviously happy for the chance of gaining valuable experience in the restaurant trade.

Score: 6/10

For more information or bookings:

Russel’s Pizza

13 High Street

Willunga SA 5172

Tel.: 08 8556 2571