I recently attended the grand opening of the newly transformed Billy’s Pizza & Pasta Bar in Croydon, and it immediately felt different from the typical modern Adelaide pizza bar. This is not another minimalist restaurant filled with concrete, white walls and carefully placed pot plants. Billy’s embraces colour, personality and nostalgia. With green walls, checked tablecloths, timber furnishings, vintage music posters and retro decorations, the restaurant feels like a warm family dining room from another era.
It is charming without feeling contrived, traditional without being dated, and relaxed enough for an easy weeknight meal while still being interesting enough for a proper social occasion. This review from Glam Adelaide captures it really well as well.
For anyone searching for memorable pizza in Adelaide, freshly made pasta in Adelaide, or a family-friendly Croydon pizza bar, Billy’s deserves a place on the list.
A new chapter for a Croydon favourite
Billy’s Pizza & Pasta Bar is the evolution of Billy’s Table, a highly regarded neighbourhood restaurant that has operated in Croydon since 2018.
The restaurant remains at 16/18 Elizabeth Street, Croydon SA 5008, with chef and owner Billy Petropoulos continuing to lead the venue. Billy has extensive hospitality experience and has developed a reputation for handcrafted doughs, pasta, breads and food influenced by his international travels.
The refreshed concept sharpens the restaurant’s focus around pizza, pasta, drinks and relaxed evening dining. The rebrand was designed to capture old-school Italian charm, with the new menu built around popular dishes developed during the Billy’s Table years.
While the name and design have changed, the qualities people appreciated about Billy’s Table remain: welcoming service, generously presented food and the feeling that somebody genuinely cares whether you are enjoying yourself.
A nostalgic 1970s Italian restaurant atmosphere
The first thing that struck me was the atmosphere.
Billy’s feels like a family-style Italian restaurant from the past — honest, warm, colourful and slightly eccentric in the best possible way. The vintage posters, old records, retro signs and green-and-white table settings create an environment that feels lived-in rather than manufactured.
A framed Life on Mars? poster adds colour to the wine display, while classic toys, vintage advertising signs and miniature arcade games decorate other parts of the restaurant. The music, artwork and furnishings all work together to create a genuine sense of nostalgia.
It is a place where you can imagine several generations of a family sitting around a table, sharing pizza and passing plates from one end to the other.
There are plenty of details to discover, but the restaurant does not feel like a museum. It remains comfortable, lively and practical. The nostalgic design gives Billy’s a distinctive identity while allowing the food and company to remain the centre of the evening.
Family-friendly, social and surprisingly spacious
Although Billy’s has the warmth of an intimate neighbourhood restaurant, what impressed me was the amount of usable dining space.
There is enough room for families, groups of friends and larger social gatherings without losing the relaxed local atmosphere. It would work equally well for:
- A casual family dinner
- Pizza and drinks with friends
- A birthday or group celebration
- A meal before an event at the Adelaide Entertainment Centre
- An easy dinner when nobody feels like cooking
- A long, relaxed evening over food and wine
Billy’s sits in a very appealing space between fine dining and fast food. You receive thoughtfully prepared restaurant food, but the experience remains informal and approachable.
You do not need a special occasion, an elaborate outfit or an understanding of obscure culinary terminology. You can simply arrive hungry, order something generous and enjoy yourself.
Traditional pizza made with time and care
Pizza is central to the new Billy’s identity.
The restaurant uses naturally fermented dough that is given approximately 48 hours to develop its flavour before being cooked at high temperature in the wood-fired oven. The venue has long been known for using fermented dough, quality ingredients and traditional methods rather than treating pizza as an afterthought.
The signature dish is Billy’s Romana Pizza, a thick and generous Roman-style pizza topped with pepperoni and finished with hot honey. It is designed to be placed in the middle of the table and shared.
The combination of salty pepperoni and sweet heat gives it more personality than an ordinary pepperoni pizza. It also captures what Billy’s does particularly well: familiar comfort food presented with a distinctive twist.
The pizza is generous rather than delicate. This is food intended to satisfy people, encourage sharing and keep the table busy.
For people comparing pizza bars in Adelaide, Billy’s has a clear point of difference. The dough-making process is taken seriously, but the restaurant itself does not become overly serious.
Handmade pasta and comforting Italian flavours
The pasta follows the same philosophy.
Rather than relying on generic commercial products, Billy’s promotes pasta made by hand and cooked using traditional methods. The aim is not to reinvent Italian cooking beyond recognition. It is to deliver familiar, deeply comforting flavours with care.
Billy’s previous menus have also included handmade gnocchi, fettuccine carbonara, prawn and chorizo linguine, wood-fired vegetables, local squid and substantial shared mains. Menu availability can change, but the common thread is fresh preparation and full flavour.
For somebody searching for a relaxed pasta café in Adelaide, Billy’s offers the accessibility of a neighbourhood café with the food and drinks of a proper evening restaurant.
The starters set the tone
I particularly enjoyed the starters at the opening.
The marinated green olives were glossy, fragrant and served with herbs, citrus peel and chilli. They were simple, but that simplicity allowed the seasoning and quality of the olives to stand out.
The fries arrived in a generous wooden bowl with a creamy dipping sauce. They are exactly the sort of food that disappears while everyone is talking, drinking wine and deciding what to order next.
This style of eating suits Billy’s. Rather than everybody guarding an individual plate, food can be placed in the centre and passed around. Olives, fries, calamari, vegetables, pizza and pasta can turn a straightforward dinner into a shared experience.
That communal quality is an important part of the restaurant’s appeal.
An interesting and carefully considered wine selection
The wine selection also appeared to have received genuine attention.
The bottles displayed throughout the restaurant contribute to the atmosphere, but they are not merely decorative. There is enough choice to make Billy’s suitable for people who want to stay for a drink rather than simply eat and leave.
A glass of red works naturally alongside the richer pizza, mushroom and duck flavours, while lighter wines suit the olives, calamari and vegetable dishes.
Billy’s also promotes a tiramisu espresso martini, combining two familiar Italian indulgences in one drink. It sounds like an appropriately playful way to finish a meal in a restaurant that does not take itself too seriously.
Save room for the dessert pizza
The dessert pizza was one of the most memorable parts of the evening.
It arrived dusted heavily with icing sugar and topped with generous spoonfuls of warm, creamy custard. It had all the visual excess that a proper shared dessert should have.
This is not a tiny, restrained final course positioned precisely in the centre of an oversized plate. It is a dessert made to be brought to the table, photographed, divided and enjoyed together.
The combination of warm dough, sweetness and rich custard makes it particularly satisfying after a savoury meal. Even when everyone says they are full, a dessert like this has a way of disappearing.
Chef Billy makes the restaurant feel personal
A restaurant can have excellent food and attractive interiors, but hospitality ultimately depends on the people.
Chef Billy made a strong impression on me. He was friendly, conversational and genuinely interested in whether everyone was enjoying the opening. He moved through the restaurant chatting with guests and helping create the sense that the evening mattered to him personally.
That warmth is reflected in the broader Billy’s crew. The restaurant feels hospitable rather than transactional.
You are not simply processed through a booking, served and encouraged to leave. The atmosphere invites you to settle in, talk and enjoy another drink.
Billy’s own description of the venue centres on good food bringing people together. After visiting, that feels less like a marketing line and more like an accurate summary of the experience.
Why locals regard Billy’s as a Croydon gem
Billy’s Table developed a loyal following before becoming Billy’s Pizza & Pasta Bar, and the comments from previous customers help explain why.
One reviewer described it simply as:
“It’s Croydon’s gem.”
Another praised the restaurant’s:
“Excellent authentic natural fresh food,”
adding that it had a:
“Great vibe.”
Perhaps the most direct recommendation came from a customer who wrote:
“I couldn’t recommend this cafe more, JUST GO THERE.”
Other reviews repeatedly mention the friendly service, fresh food, relaxed environment and rustic presentation. One family described Billy’s as their favourite restaurant because the food and service made them feel as though they were being welcomed into somebody’s home.
That is also the impression I took from the new Billy’s.
It is polished enough to feel like a night out, but personal enough to feel local.
A strong choice for pizza and pasta in Adelaide
There are many places serving pizza and pasta around Adelaide, so having a clear identity matters.
Billy’s Pizza & Pasta Bar succeeds because it does not feel interchangeable with every other Italian restaurant. Its appeal comes from the combination of:
- Properly fermented pizza dough
- Handmade pasta
- Generous, shareable dishes
- Warm and conversational service
- Family-friendly dining
- Plenty of space for groups
- A carefully considered drinks selection
- A distinctive 1970s and 1980s atmosphere
- Excellent value for the overall experience
It is traditional in spirit but not limited by rigid expectations. The flavours are familiar enough to be comforting while still containing enough interesting touches to make the meal memorable.
My verdict on Billy’s Pizza & Pasta Bar
Billy’s Pizza & Pasta Bar is an excellent addition to Croydon and a confident new chapter for Billy’s Table.
It offers something Adelaide needs more of: an honest neighbourhood restaurant with personality.
The retro surroundings are fun, but the concept extends beyond decoration. The restaurant captures the warmth, generosity and social nature associated with a traditional family meal. Food is intended to be shared, conversation is encouraged and nobody seems interested in rushing the evening.
Whether you are looking for a relaxed pizza bar in Adelaide, handmade pasta near Croydon, a family-friendly Italian restaurant or somewhere different for a group dinner, Billy’s is well worth discovering.
Credit to Billy and the entire Billy’s crew for creating a restaurant that feels warm, distinctive and genuinely enjoyable.
Head there for the pizza and pasta, stay for the wine and nostalgia — and leave room for the dessert pizza.
Billy’s Pizza & Pasta Bar details
Address: 16/18 Elizabeth Street, Croydon SA 5008
Style: Pizza, handmade pasta, Italian-inspired shared dining
Suitable for: Families, couples, groups, casual dinners and social occasions
Dining options: Dine-in, takeaway and online ordering
Atmosphere: Relaxed, family-friendly and retro-inspired
Website: https://billyspizzapasta.com.au/
Frequently asked questions
Yes. The informal atmosphere, generous dishes and shareable pizza make it particularly suitable for families. It feels welcoming without being overly formal.
Yes. One of the strengths of the restaurant is the amount of dining space. The shared dishes and relaxed environment make it a good option for birthdays, gatherings and dinners with friends.
Billy’s is located at 16/18 Elizabeth Street in Croydon, in Adelaide’s inner western suburbs.
The restaurant promotes naturally fermented 48-hour pizza dough and handmade pasta prepared using traditional methods.
The signature Romana pizza, slow-cooked duck risotto and dessert pizza are strong starting points. The olives and other shared starters are also ideal for the table.
