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Images: Belinda Moretta Creative
If the smell of fresh bread drifting down the street is your idea of temptation, you’ll want to make tracks to Panini Brothers, the Italian bakery that’s just landed in Fulham Gardens and is already buzzing from open to close.
Step inside and you’ll feel like you’ve ducked into a small Italian village café.
“We’ve got a beautiful little seating area that looks very much like Italy, hand painted walls…. black and white pictures of Italy all on the wall, it just looks like Italy,” said co-owner Lisa De Vizio. “We just wanted something that reminds you of Italy because we’re an Italian bakery.”
Run by Lisa and Anthony De Vizio alongside their three sons, Stefan, Anton, and Daniel, the original ‘Panini Brothers’, the bakery is proudly family-owned and hands-on.
After more than 20 years winning hearts (and stomachs) in Newton, which was sold to a new owner, the beloved family-run bakery has reopened in the west and locals have wasted no time lining up. Doors opened just over a week ago and it’s been non-stop ever since, with trays of bread, panini and pizza barely touching the shelves before they’re snapped up.
This is old-school Italian is baking done properly. Think crackly crusts, pillowy interiors and bread that’s been shaped, rested and baked from the early hours of the morning.
The family starts at around 2am to bring out a seriously impressive lineup: crusty Italian Filoni, focaccia rolls, traditional oil panini, specialty lunch rolls, sourdoughs, rosemary and sea salt focaccia, garlic and oregano focaccia, and classic French baguettes. All freshly baked each morning.
As the name suggests, panini are the star of the show, and they’re flying out the door. Handmade chicken schnitzels are crumbed in-house before being tucked into fresh rolls, while gourmet options layer roast chicken, basil pesto, provolone, mushrooms and spinach. Antipasto lovers are spoiled with olive tapenade, roast capsicum, artichoke and grilled eggplant, while Italian deli meats like prosciutto, salami, mortadella and capocollo feature heavily across the menu. Focaccia panini take things up another notch, with combinations like ricotta, crushed pistachio and honey, or Calabrese-style fillings finished with fresh basil.
If you’re more of a pizza person, you’re covered too. There are individual-sized pizzas perfect for lunch, along with larger gourmet pizzas designed for sharing.
“You can eat them at room temperature, or you can warm them up in an oven for five minutes and they’re beautiful,” said Lisa.
Sweet tooths will find it hard to leave without dessert. The cannoli selection includes vanilla, chocolate, pistachio, Ferrero and traditional Sicilian ricotta, with light, crisp shells and creamy fillings that regulars are already raving about. Zeppole, Italian-style donuts add another layer of indulgence, dusted in cinnamon sugar, filled with chocolate or blueberry and white chocolate, or even served savoury with anchovy for those who like to live a little.
With more baked goods coming soon, Panini Brothers in Fulham Gardens is looking forward to being able to meet more people’s wants and needs. They are open Tuesday to Saturday from 7.30am to 4.30pm. Orders aren’t currently available due to the crowds, so the advice is simple: get in early, come hungry, and be prepared to leave with a bag full of Italian comfort food and plans to come back again very soon.
Panini Brothers
Where: Unit 1/130 Valetta Rd, Fulham Gardens
When: Tuesday – Saturday (7.30am – 4.30pm)
For more information, click here
Dining and Cooking