What would be our ultimate comfort food? What would we enjoy with our Campari-sodas and cold beers? What would we cram into our drunken mouths after a messy night out? It’s just too terrifying to think about.
Lucky for us Mancunians, the humble pizza has had a recent spike in popularity, and the city plays host to arguably some of the best pizza joints this side of Milano.
Rudy’s
Situated in an ex-car park in Manchester’s very own Little Italy, Rudy’s Neapolitan Pizza have earned themselves quite a reputation. Perhaps the first to start off this craft-pizza-craze in the city, you will find an uber-relaxed environment and dare I say, the best pizza in town. Get there quick mind- you cannot book a table so do expect a queue. They also have a site on Peter Street too for those us you who do not want to venture into Ancoats.
Rudy’s Neapolitan Pizza, 9 Cotton Street, Ancoats, M4 5BF
Petersfield House, Peter St, Manchester M2 5QJ
www.rudyspizza.co.uk/
Electrik
We were sad to wave goodbye to Yadda Yadda at Electrik, but the new food offering has certainly made up for it. The pizza menu is delicious with excellent toppings and fantastic dough and it is just what you need to keep your stomach lined while you tuck into some of their cocktails or the wonderful selection of beers. What’s more is they offer various deals on the pizza too, like £5 10’’ pizzas on Mondays and a weekly Giro (all-you-can-eat) for a fiver when you buy a drink.
Electrik, 559a Wilbraham Road, Chorlton, M21 0AE
www.electrikbar.co.uk
Stage and Radio
I think this one wins the ‘no frills’ competition when it comes to pizza. Tucked around the back of the Northern Quarter, an unassuming little bar serves up a variety of perfect pizzas which are precisely what they should be and just what you need four or five drinks in. I always go for their pepperoni, which is appropriately pimped up with the addition of spicy Nduja, basil and pickled jalapenos.
Don Giovanni
Manchester’s oldest Italian is known for their straight forward approach to pizza. Don Giovanni’s pizza is more in the Roman style on a thin, flat base which really allows the toppings to do the talking. Primavera is always a winner with its fresh vegetables, and you can never go wrong with the Proscuitto E Funghi with ham and mushrooms in my humble opinion.
Crazy Pedro’s
On the complete opposite end of the spectrum to the former, sometimes you just want something filthy, and that’s where Crazy Pedro’s come in. Open until late, and with pizza available by the slice, the toppings at Pedro’s are what your wildest dreams are made of. Think fried chicken and waffle, shredded duck, KFC (Korean fried chicken) katsu curry, vegan sloppy Guiseppe and a monthly changing pun-tastic special.
Crazy Pedro’s, 55-57 Bridge St, Manchester M3 3BQ
www.crazypedros.co.uk/
PLY
A Northern Quarter favourite and within dangerous proximity to the Manchester’s Finest office, the pizzas at Ply never let us down. Handcrafted from sourdough and baked in a Neapolitan wood-fired clay oven in under two minutes, they are wonderfully authentic. The pizzas are served up next to a selection of craft beers and cocktails and in the spirit of the NQ, a programme of ever-changing art exhibitions.
Noi Quattro
It isn’t a secret that the NQ loves a pizza, and the new kid on the block is Noi Quattro just off High Street. They keep their offering simple with a delicious selection of snacks and street food and delicious pizza made in a proper pizza oven. There is a real focus on the authenticity of the ingredients so expect Mozzarella fior di latte, san marzano d.o.p. tomatoes and wild broccoli to name but a few.
Sandbar
If you’ve been to either of the Universities here in Manchester, then you will have almost certainly had a drink at Sandbar. It is an absolute institution, and nothing shows us why more than the fabulous selection of craft ales and the pizza. Good Lord, the pizza. Stone baked to perfection and topped with the most sumptuous of toppings and available in 14” and 6”. They have all the classics and then some more adventurous toppings like smoked duck, grilled aubergine, and feta, and I hear that vegan/vegetarian options are available (and tasty too.)
Sandbar, 120 Grosvenor St, Manchester M1 7HL
www.sandbarmanchester.co.uk
Proove
Would West Didsbury be complete without a trendy pizza joint? Certainly not. Made in the Neapolitan style with a soft, chewy crust and charred edges, in a tiled, wood-fired oven they use the most beautiful Italian ingredients and with all the toppings you know and love such as Foir de latte mozzarella, spicy Nduja sausage and lashings of olive oil.
Salvi’s
Salvi’s has been feeding hungry Mancunians for such a long time, and it seems we never want it to stop. I love their fuss-free approach to home-style Italian cooking and it is all about the classics if you ask me. Their pizza is the real deal and everything you want from your pie and their Margherita topped with juicy tomatoes and buffalo mozzarella is the stuff of legend.
Honest Crust at Mackie Mayor
If you haven’t had a chance to grace this stylish food market, then can you even call yourself a millennial? Both markets play host to a range of food vendors to offer a variety of delicious eats from Bao buns to authentic Neapolitan pizza – are you sensing a theme yet?
Honest Crust, Mackie Mayor, Eagle St, Manchester M4
www.mackiemayor.co.uk/
Double Zero
The name of this titchy pizzeria in the hipster-infested suburb of Chorlton refers to the ultra-fine flour used in pizza bases and pasta. The pizza’s here are, you guessed it Neapolitan, and made from a dough that is fermented for a minimum of 48 hours and topped with all your favourite toppings from the classic to the controversial.
Double Zero, 368 Barlow Moor Rd, Manchester M21 8AZ
www.pizzeriadoublezero.com
Tre Ciccio
The offering at Tre Ciccio is legitimately two of my favourite things – pizza and roast chicken. Seriously, what more could you want in life? The only problem with Tre Ciccio is both these items are executed so perfectly that it sometimes makes it rather difficult to choose between the two. For the time being, however, we are here to talk about pizza so that is where we will draw our attention. Chewy, charred and fluffy in that true Neapolitan style, the Tre Ciccio pizzas are a real taste of the home country.
Slice
For when you’re on the go, and you just want a little something to keep those hunger pangs at bay, Slice in the Northern Quarter is the way forward. Minimal fuss with maximum flavour the pizzas are batch cooked in sheets and sliced up ready for you to take away or eat in. Only the finest Italian ingredients are used, and the make the perfect little lunchtime treat.
Slice Pizza & Bread Bar, 1a Stevenson Square, Northern Quarter, Manchester, M1 1DN.
www.slicepizza.co/
