Pi Pizza opened 2nd July 2018 in Dublin, the brain-child of Laois man, Reg White. A former auctioneer turned pizza chef, with experience in the award-winning flour + water in the mission district of San Francisco. His ambition is mighty yet simple – to deliver the best pizza in Dublin.
Set on George’s St, right beside Dublin Business School – it’s in a busy part of the city, a stone’s throw from the Olympia theatre, making it the perfect spot for a pre-gig, pizza pit-stop.
It’s somewhat understated from the outside. The decor inside continues the theme – minimalist, industrial and super slick, with a cosmopolitan, hipster vibe that is much more NYC in design than the Neapolitan pizza they serve.
We arrived around 5pm on Monday evening and were warmly welcomed. Complimentary water for the table was a really nice touch, and the waitress who served us was very friendly and attentive. The menu is short and sweet – it actually has much more space dedicated to drinks options than food!
Which is fine by us, as there’s a really solid range of craft beer available including Irish brews from Hopfully Brewing, Whiplash and Yellow Belly, as well as big hitters from Ballast Point and Beavertown. It’s a well-stocked fridge and we were suitably impressed.
We ordered a couple of cans which were swiftly delivered – without glasses. No big deal, we used the ones we had for our water, and when the waitress noticed, she offered us another couple of clean ones. Just a little thing but we craft beer drinkers are a fussy lot; when we’re spending €7 on a can of beer, we’d like a glass for it.
Pi Pizza specialise in wood-fired Neapolitan pizza – there are 8 different pizza options on the menu and 3 of them are Bianca, which means they have no tomato on there. A bold offering – but this confidence in starting out a little left-field instantly excited us. You have to be confident in your skills to go against the grain with what the average pizza-eater expects on a menu, so it’s got to be really, really good… right?
You’re daaaaamn right it is. We opted for the Salsiccia – the spiciest option on the menu – and the Zuccha, one of the Bianca options. The Salsiccia was topped with Basil, Piquillo Peppers, Pickled Chillies, Gubbeen Chorizo and Toonsbridge Fior di Latte. Locally sourced ingredients, a nice touch.
The Zucca had Grana Padano, Basil, Courgette, Garlic, Ricotta, Salsa Verde and Black Pepper.
The pizzas arrived in minutes – the joy of the wood-fired oven – and straight away, you get that signature wood-fired oven taste from the first bite. The dough is surprisingly fluffy, yet deliciously tasty. How can dough carry so much flavour while feeling so light?!
Plentiful toppings, a perfectly balanced tomato base on the Salsiccia with the right balance of sweet and salty, and everything working together to give really bold yet complementary flavours. We always go for the spicy, meat-filled option so it was no surprise we enjoyed the Salsiccia, but we’d go as far as to say, it’s one of the best pizzas we’ve ever tasted – not just in Dublin, but anywhere.
The real surprise came from the Zucca. It’s not something we would typically choose but we gave it a go and it was a real eye-opener – super light, refreshing and the perfect pizza for this heat-wave. A complete contrast to the Salsiccia, which was delicious, but brought on a little bit of a chilli sweat.
There were a few minor services issues – being seated between two other tables when there was lots of space elsewhere, no glasses with the beers, having to ask for cutlery – but we’re nit-picking and these are basic teething issues in a stunning pizzeria that’s only been open a few weeks. The food is awesome and the service was fast and friendly, so we’ve nothing but love for Pi after our first visit.
Pi Pizza is a must visit if you’re in Dublin, serving possibly the best Neapolitan pizza we’ve tried. Certainly the best in Ireland to-date. They also have a great selection of craft beers, the venue is super cool and the prices are very reasonable. Go now, quick, before the rest of Dublin find out and it’s queued out the door – because it’s only a matter of time.
You can find Pi Pizza on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and their website here.
