Located on the eastern side of The Parade is the Base Bar, which is an extension of The Bath Hotel. Behind a set of double doors, that are older than Adelaide, is a hipster bar that is aiding the revitalisation of the cafe precinct. The exposed brick walls and ceiling, the polished concrete floors, the timber benches and the low hanging light fittings give this place a spacious industrial feel. With a big wood oven, it’s no surprise that pizzas are on offer at this place. They also have a selection of tapas dishes as well as a few sliders and desserts.

Tonight, I started off with the Oysters Kilpatrick which was perfectly executed. The Worcestershire sauce, the crispy bacon and the hint of parsley, all working together to create a taste sensation.

Next up was the Mediterranean Pizza which consisted of spinach, chicken, capsicums, olives and red chilli. The chicken was tender and succulent, and breast meat was used in generous proportions. There was way too much chilli on the pizza and the cheese was sparse. The pizza base was light and airy, and had a consistent thickness throughout. You could taste the smokiness in the dough with each bite, however, the pizza still tasted bland.

The other pizza we had was the Di Mare which consisted of prawns, mussels, squid, chilli, tomato and mozzarella. This tasted better than the previous pizza, but not by much. The seafood was juicy and perfectly cooked, and the amount of cheese on this pizza was more generous.

The staff were friendly and the service was above average. The atmosphere was relaxed, even when it became a full house later in the evening. The pricing is fair, although one pizza is sufficient to barely satisfy one person. No one went home hungry, but there was still room for more.

This place does many things right, particularly with the service, the decor and the atmosphere. On the other hand, the pizzas we had were ordinary. If I were to come back, I would definitely try their tapas dishes to see how they rate.

WHERE: 234 The Parade, Norwood