What it is
Il Matto is an Italian restaurant at 3/15 Bell Street, in the middle of Torquay, with its roots in Sicily. The family's restaurant story began in Solarino, a small town in the province of Siracusa, in 1998, and it has since grown to two restaurants. The menu is classic Italian with a Sicilian lean: handmade pasta, wood-fired pizza and a few signature seafood dishes.
It's a relaxed, good-value pasta night rather than a special-occasion place, and it suits most groups. There's a kids' menu, plenty for vegetarians, and gluten-free pasta and pizza bases. The name means "the crazy one".
The pizzolo
The dish to try is the pizzolo (pizzolu in Sicilian), a speciality of the Siracusa hills. It's a round of dough that's baked, split, filled and baked again, so it eats like a cross between a pizza and a stuffed focaccia, with a thin, crisp crust. The pizzolo was born in the 1970s in the hill town of Sortino, and neighbouring Solarino later made its own name with bolder fillings. The two towns still argue, in a friendly way, over who does it best. Il Matto says its pizza chef and owner was one of the people behind the Solarino recipe in 1998.
At Il Matto you can have any of the pizzas made as a freshly made pizzolo for $5 more.
What's on the menu
From the menu on its website in October 2026:
To share
An antipasto plate for two or four, with prosciutto di Parma, porchetta and buffalo mozzarella, plus fried calamari, garlic focaccia, nonna's meatballs in Napoli sauce, and arancini with ragu and saffron.
Pizza
Wood-fired, in two lists. The pizze rosse have a San Marzano tomato base, from a margherita to a diavola with hot sopressata and a prosciutto and burrata. The pizze bianche skip the tomato, like the contadina with porcini and burrata, or sausage with friarielli (broccoli rabe). There's a Nutella pizza for dessert.
Pasta
Nonna's lasagna, baked gnocchi sorrentina, rigatoni amatriciana, spaghetti with meatballs, and two Sicilian-leaning dishes: orecchiette alla trapanese with anchovies and almonds, and farfalle with salmon and Bronte pistachio. Fresh gluten-free spaghetti or gnocchi costs $7 extra.
Mains and dessert
Beef cheeks braised for eight hours in Barolo, crispy-skin salmon, chicken filled with prosciutto and mozzarella, and the chef's king prawns flambéed in vodka. To finish, Sicilian cannoli, tiramisu or an affogato.
With kids and groups
The kids' menu ("something for the groms") has a margherita or Hawaiian pizza, spaghetti with a meatball or bolognese, and chicken bites with chips, all from $15 to $17. Pizza and pasta are an easy sell to most children, so it's a good one for a family dinner after the beach.
For a birthday or a big family night, Il Matto has a function room for up to 30 people, which you can enquire about on its website. For groups of more than six in the restaurant, call ahead to check there's room.
Bookings and hours
Book a table through the Il Matto website, or call (03) 4241 2008. When we checked in October 2026, the booking form offered lunch sittings at midday and 1.30pm and dinner sittings at 5.30pm and 7.30pm, and the website said the kitchen closes at 10pm. There's online ordering for takeaway too, which makes it an easy pizza night at the house.
Getting there and what's nearby
Bell Street is the old centre of Torquay, close to the beach and about five minutes' drive from north Torquay. Squires Loft and Bells Bakery are at the same address, and Roku Den is a short walk along the street.
For a drink before dinner, the Torquay Hotel and Blackman's are both on Bell Street. Afterwards, walk it off along the foreshore to Fishermans Beach.
Il Matto FAQ
Where is Il Matto in Torquay?
3/15 Bell Street, in the middle of town.
What is a pizzolo?
A Sicilian speciality from around Siracusa: a round of dough that's baked, split, filled and baked again. Any pizza at Il Matto can be made as one for $5 more.
Do I need to book?
It's a good idea in summer and on weekends. Book online, and call (03) 4241 2008 for groups of more than six.
Is there gluten-free food?
Yes. There's fresh gluten-free spaghetti and gnocchi, gluten-free pizza bases, vegan cheese, and several gluten-free mains and starters.
Is it good for kids?
Yes, with a kids' menu of pizza, pasta and chicken bites.
For the rest of Bell Street and The Esplanade, see our Torquay restaurants guide, and for coffee in the morning, our cafes guide. Staying in north Torquay? Check dates at Holyday House.
Sources
Facts on this page were checked against these sources on 20 October 2026. Opening hours, patrols, rules and closures change — check with the source before you go.
- Il Matto Restaurant — Il Matto (official)
- About Il Matto Restaurant — Il Matto (official)
- Menu — Il Matto (official)
- Torquay restaurant bookings — Il Matto (official)
- Functions @ Il Matto — Il Matto (official)
- Pizzolo Siracusano: la guida all'originale di Sortino — Do Eat Better Experience