You know a new bar and restaurant is ticking all the right boxes when it’s packed inside and out on a cold, rainy Wednesday night. Via Napoli’s new sister pizzeria 170 Grammi only opened three weeks ago in Sydney’s Surry Hills, but word has spread fast.

Located in a quaint terrace on the corner of Crown and Foveaux Streets, it serves Roman-style round pizzas washed down with Italian classic drinks including Negroni Sbagliatos, Americanos and Aperol Spritzes.

The pizzas are made using only 170 grams of dough – which served as the inspiration for the venue’s name – and are thinner and crunchier compared to the soft and puffy Verace Neapolitan style ones.

We perch at the handmade black and white terrazzo bar and sip affordably priced glasses of Italian wine – bottles on the wine list are priced no higher than $65 – while sampling Suppli, Roman versions of arancini that are filled with La Stella Buffalo Mozzarella and nestled in a pool of San Marzano tomato sauce, then sprinkled with grated pecorino cheese. Fabulous.

Next we sample the headline-stealing A’ Carbonara pizza, which celebrates the favourite spaghetti dish. It features a white base, Pecorino Romano, chunks of flavour-filled guanciale, free range egg yolk and black pepper. It’s definitely not diet food, but a fabulous treat.

Other famous pastas that have been turned into pizza toppings at 170 Grammi include the classic Cacio e pepe and the Amatriciana featuring guanciale, pomodoro and pecorino Romano.

A major contributor to the charm of the venue is the warm hospitality shown by owner Luigi Esposito (above) and his staff to patrons, including singing happy birthday to two parties who were celebrating at the restaurant during our visit. Their joy and enthusiasm adds to the welcoming atmosphere of the restaurant.

We somehow manage dessert, ordering 170 Grammi’s heavenly version of cream-filled maritozzi pastries. The sweet buns have quickly gained a cult following in the neighbourhood. An unexpected plate of Angioletti Nutella also lands in front of us, fried “little angels” of pizza dough dusted in sugar, drizzled with Nutella and sprinkled with sliced strawberries.

We round out the evening with Limoncello Spritzes before waddling off into the night and dreaming of returning to try Luigi’s signature Porchetta di ariccia pizza, prepared with a white base, then topped with the slow-roasted porchetta alla Romana, smoked scamorza, wood-fired roasted potatoes, rosemary and black pepper.

170 Grammi is located at 428 Crown St and is open for dinner from Wednesday to Sunday.