Do you like your pizza with a thin crisp base, in the Roman style, or perhaps you prefer the dough to be pillowy, full of air pockets and maybe a little chewy, like they make them in Naples? No matter what side of the pizza divide you are on, there has never been a better time to indulge in this Italian staple. We have trawled the Irish Times archive, and consulted pizza experts and food writers to compile this list of some of the best places to eat pizza in Ireland.
Pi
73 South Great George’s Street, Dublin 2
pipizzas.ie
Pi heralded a new era of authentic pizza in Dublin when it opened back in 2018. “The best pizza in Ireland, no contest”, wrote Catherine Cleary, reviewing Pi in September of that year. “The pizzas come out of the belly of the furnace with puffy crusts dotted with charred blisters in what’s known (fun fact) as “leoparding”. The bestseller is still the Nduja, with crushed tomato, fresh basil, Healy family honey, scamorza, nduja and Grana Padano.
Bambino
37 Stephen Street Lower, Dublin 2
01-547-1552, bmbno.ie
If a slice of pie is your thing, there is nowhere better to get your fix in Dublin than here. Reggie White, one of the original co-founders of Pi and an absolute fanatic about good pizza, with the knowledge and experience to back it up, is working here now, so you know it’s good. Reviewing Bambino last autumn, Corinna Hardgrave said: “Everything was great, impossible to pick a favourite.” But the traditional pepperoni and hot pepperoni have a solid fan base here.
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Little Forest
57 Main Street, Blackrock, Co Dublin
littleforest.ie
The South Co Dublin village became a mecca for pizza lovers when this offshoot from Forest Avenue restaurant opened, initially doing only takeaway pizzas. The offering has expanded now, and there is a full diningroom with a tasting menu option. But you can still call in for one of their slow fermented sourdough pizzas to go. In her review of the Little Forest pizzas, Corinna Hardgrave said “this is pizza I’ll dream about”. Food writer Lisa Cope and Hardgrave both opted for pizzas from here when asked to name their favourites.
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Rascal’s Brewing Company
Goldenbridge Estate, Tyrconnell Rd, Inchicore, Dublin 8
01-538-2051, rascalsbrewing.com
Pizza and craft beer is a popular pairing, and with 12 taps of their own beers and a wood fired oven sending out 12 varieties of pizza, that’s a tasting menu in the making. A lot of work has been done to hone the quality of the pizza dough used here, and the 120 seats available mean there is room for everyone. John Wilson has the back story on the business here.
Pi Guy
Trade Market 14, Dublin Road, Belfast
+44-7378-854700, piguy.co.uk
When Corinna Hardgrave was exploring Belfast’s many gourmet offerings earlier in the year, she headed to the city’s Trademarket, an outdoor street-food market, to check out Pi Guy “who many say makes the best pizza in town”. Marty Duggan, the owner, says “Pi Guy was born after an impromptu purchase of a Gozney Roccbox in summer 2018 led to an existing passion for pizza turning into an obsession.” It’s all about long, slow fermentation here and premium quality ingredients, locally sourced where possible, including mozzarella made in the city.
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Sonflour
9 Castle Street, Cork
021-427-4216, sonflour.ie
In Cork, one of the city’s most popular places to eat pizza just happens to be vegetarian. Food writer Joanne Cronin checked it out before including it in a county-by-county list of great restaurants earlier this year. “Sonflour owners Eugenio Nobile and Lorenzo Barba turn out excellent pizzas, breads and pastas made with Irish flour from The Little Mill. With dish names such as I lost my mind by the Shakey Bridge, live music gigs, sustainable wines and a pet-friendly policy, it’s easy to see why Cork has fallen for Sonflour,” she writes.
The Dough Bros
1 Middle Street, Galway
thedoughbros.ie
Eugene and Ronan Greaney’s wood-fired pizzas are famous, so famous in fact that they regularly feature in the best pizza in Europe rankings, alongside the Italians themselves. Known for the consistency of their product, as well as its quality, The Dough Bros grew from a market stall to a pop-up to a permanent premises. Their lamb shawarma pizza, a lockdown meal kit smash hit in collaboration with chef Jess Murphy, was a huge hit with Corinna Hardgrave.
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Grá Pizza
North Kildare Sports Club, Maws, Maynooth, Co Kildare
grapizza.com
When asked to name her favourite pizza in Ireland, food writer Ali Dunworth had no hesitation in choosing the Seamus Heaney from Grá in Co Kildare. The mobile unit can be found at North Kildare Sports Club on Fridays (4pm-9pm) and Celbridge Slip Hall on Saturdays (3.30pm-8.30pm). It is best to book a collection slot in advance by messaging gra.pizza on Instagram. “Ryan Lally started out in lockdown making pizzas from his back garden. He has progressed to a shiny new pizza truck. The Seamus Heaney is my go-to order: it features San Marzano tomatoes, fior di latte, chorizo, nduja, basil and honey on 24-hour-fermented dough blasted in the wood-fired oven for perfect charring every time. This is the local pizza everyone deserves to have,” Dunworth writes.
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The Pizza Shed
Killruddery, Co Wicklow
01-286-3405, pizza.killruddery.com
On Thursdays to Sundays, from noon to 9pm (or earlier if sold out), you can pick up a pizza to go, or eat it in the rustic surroundings of The Pizza Shed at Killruddery House & Gardens in Co Wicklow. They are baked in an Italian wood-fired oven, but what makes these pizzas special is the toppings, many of which are produced in the 800-acre estate and gardens, including their own lamb and pork, as well as vegetables. Try, for example, the vegan option, with vegan pesto, green olives, Killruddery garden courgette and fennel, sweet pickled red onions, capers and parsley.
