Have you ever had pizza so good that it wipes out your memory?

Vacanza in Charing Cross had this effect on me. I can’t remember the last time I enjoyed a slice so much. It’s much easier to recall all the bad pizzas – the greasetraps with a crust; the dough overkill; the pile-up of unending toppings, which only lead to oven-baked blandness – like an overproduced teen pop record.

I made a note to check out Vacanza after a great write-up it got in a recent Time Out. It’s definitely worth singling out. This pizzeria avoids the all-of-the-above approach to slinging on ingredients and instead refines the toppings so that what’s there actually counts. I like how the kitchen can uncap so much flavour out of a handful of things – a roasted tomato is still bracing, sweet and generously (and rather shirt-unfriendly) juicy and not a shrivelled, overbaked puck. A slice of eggplant is grilled to that lovely, yielding point before caramelisation. Even a simple scattering of basil (against all that cheese) is nicely deployed.

I’ve spent all week working out when I can have another one. It’ll probably be worth any amnesia it causes.

Vacanza, 261 Bronte Road Charing Cross NSW (02) 9090 2089, www.vacanzapizzeria.com.au