Set amongst all the other Italian cafes down The Parade is Cafe Ivy. With mediterranean inspired mains, pastas, salads and pizzas, the menu is very stock standard one. The decor is contemporary and casual with the use of browns prominent throughout. With it’s prime corner position, there is plenty of seating both inside and outside on it’s dual frontage. It also has the advantage of receiving plenty of natural light.

Tonight, I ordered the Maltese Works Pizza. The pizzas arrived 40 minutes after ordering which we thought was a long time. Both pizzas were nicely presented on wooden chopping boards. The prawns were thinly sliced sideways in contrast to getting whole prawns. The pineapple used lacked sweetness but this was made up for by the roasted capsicum. The salami and bacon were of a good quality, and the topping amount was plentiful. The crust had a nice consistency, although, the centre of the pizza was a bit soggy.

I got to try a piece of the Duck Pizza. I thought this was better than the pizza I ordered. The beetroot provided a nice subtle sweetness which worked quite well with the tangy mayonnaise. The duck was tender, succulent and nicely marinated.

The staff were friendly and inviting, and the service was below average. For a place that wasn’t busy, the pizzas took way too long to arrive at our table. The atmosphere was relaxed and the pricing is on par with their competitors.

The ingredient combination for some of their pizzas is interesting, however, I must say there are some pizza places down The Parade that make a better crust.

WHERE: 230 The Parade, Norwood