Picture the scene: You’re heading out with your mates, about to eat one of the best meals you’ve had all year, and put away a few drinks too. So, what are you having?

In our eyes, you can’t ever, ever go past pizza and beer, and Melbourne is about to get hit with the best pizza night you’ve ever had, as La Dolce Italia festival brings a 7 course gourmet degustation to the city next month featuring some of the best pizza chefs in the world – and even the world champion himself.

Yep, 400 Gradi owner Johnny Di Francesco – that is, the guy who beat everyone else in the world (including the Italians) to win the Pizza World Championship in Parma, Italy – is there with some of the country’s other top chefs to serve up 7 big slices of gourmet pizza, each one coming with a different beer.

Along with Johnny’s world-conquering Margherita, you’ll be in for a special take on a seafood pizza thanks to internationally-acclaimed seafood chef Pete Hilcke, as well as the geniuses behind Melbourne pizzeria 11-Inch, and more.

That’s 7 slices, and 7 beers – what more do you need? Well, the Italian tunes will be flowing too, with singer Francesco Misitano heading over from Italy for the occasion, and a bunch more getting everyone into the mood to mangia.

The pizza night is actually just one of the events on during the La Dolce Italia festival from October 18-23, featuring a bunch of food, music, fashion and booze-filled events. You can head here to check out the rest and even win a VIP package to any of them – including taking you and three mates out for a pizza and beer night on us.

Feeling hungry already? Check out the night here. And to get the appetite going, here’s Johnny Di and his team competing at the World Pizza Championships, which they would go on to win the following year, beating over 600 others from 30 countries.

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La Dolce Italia Beer & Pizza Degustation

Monday October 23
The Paddock, Federation Square, Melbourne

Tickets and more info

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