From nomadic wood-fired horse boxes in Kildare to unlikely pies found in East Cork industrial estates, fresh up and comers in Belfast to bona fide pizza pie institutions in Galway, here are three top purveyors of pizza for each province of Ireland to check out!
Connacht: The Dough Bros, Bella & Brava, Fadó
The Dough Bros, Galway city
There's pizza and then there’s multi award-winning pizza. Brothers Eugene and Ronan Greaney are meticulous about their craft and have built nothing short of an empire based on the humblest of dishes. Regularly ranked within the best pizzerias in the world, The Dough Bros is a modern institution of good eating, whether you eat in in their locations in Galway or try their DIY kits, shipped direct to your door!
Bella & Brava, Coolaney, Sligo
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From Napoli to Coolaney, this family-run joint from couple Daniel and Laura opened in 2020 and is loyal to Italian tradition down to the Italian 00 flour in the bases and strictly San Marzano tomatoes in the sauce. There’s a wide-ranging menu, all pizzas under €20, from classic flavour combinations to house creations, like the Bella with gambas and the Leo with sliced fillet steak.
Fadó Pizza, Connemara
A seasonal food truck specialising in wood-fired pizza, find this little gem at Clifden Camping & Caravan park from spring to autumn. A short menu of pizza, all sitting below €15, includes a take on Carbonara via the medium of pizza (need we say more) and another with tender, sweet confit garlic, piquant ’Nduja and creamy Fior di Latte. Closed winter.
Munster: Pompeii, Doh, Saturday Pizzas
Pompeii, Cork City
In crust, we trust. It’s all about that perfect mix of spongy, chewy crispness with Pompeii’s crust. Slinging pizza pies since 2019 you’ll find this real, rustic, wood-fired pizza in the Franciscan Well Brewery and brewpub on Cork’s North Mall. Choose between a short menu of just eight options, including a vegan jackfruit, pepper and olive number, or build your own as you please.
Doh, Limerick City
With the tagline of 'Proper Pizza’ and dough in the name - even if it’s the spelling according to the dictionary of Homer Simpson - Doh is all about nailing Neapolitan pizza and panuzzo sandwiches. With branches both on O’Connell Street and in Casteltroy, it’s particularly Tuesdays where the value excels with pizza and a beer for €12.
Saturday Pizzas, Little Island
Sure, Philip Dennhardt has changed the frozen pizza game with his Saturday Pizzas ramping up freezer space in retail across the land, but ignore the day of the week in the brand name for a second and consider a pizza for lunch, fresh from the fire. Weekdays are where it’s at with lunch available to pre-order and collect from their Little Island base between 12pm and 2pm every weekday. Don’t miss the Four Cheese and Chilli.
Ulster: Flout!, The Rusty Oven, Pi Guy
Flout!, Belfast
Peter Thompson is the pizza version of a mad scientist, taking Stateside inspiration and slinging lavish pizzas alongside incredible focaccia in the unlikeliest of spots in East Belfast. Particularly life-altering are his devilishly delicious takes on deep dish with zero restraint shown on the cheese quotient. Find him at Portview Trade Centre on the Newtownards Road but check his socials for up to date opening hours.
The Rusty Oven, Dunfanaghy
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Sourdough is the basis of much of the menu at The Rusty Oven, which has been sating Donegal in various slices for a decade. Everything is hand-made, provenance is top notch and even the flour is organic. Don’t miss the Truffle Shuffle while pineapple on pizza lovers will lust over the Grill from Ipanema. In the quieter seasons it’s running solely on weekends, so consult their website or socials for up to date details.
Pi Guy, Belfast
Another pizzaiolo particular about provenance, supporting local and specialising in organic is Marty Duggan of Pi Guy, found in street food container quarter Trademarket on the Dublin Road. Find all the heralds of perfect wood fired pizza: leopard spotted bubbly base, a light hand with toppings and an epic balance of crunch and chew in each bite.
Leinster: Grá, Bambino, Little Forest
Grá Pizza, Kildare
Ryan Lally is the young gun behind some of the best pizza in Ireland right now. Blasting out pies from his converted horsebox, you’ll find him parked up in various spots around Kildare at weekends, like Slip Hall in Celbridge by the Castletown House gates or the North Kildare Sports Club. Just beyond the Dublin border, his wares are giving serious chase to the best versions in Dublin.
Bambino, Dublin 2
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Shane Windrim’s super central New York-style slice shop has won legions of fans since opening in June 2022. With its street-side perch becoming the ultimate Instagram spot in the city, the masses descend here for brilliant pizza that’s only made better by a drizzle of hot honey and a dunk in the roasted garlic ’n’ herb dip.
Little Forest, Blackrock
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Dublin pizza whisperer Reggie White (formerly Pi, now at Bambino) is the hands that put Little Forest’s pizzas on the map. A modern Italian in the well-heeled suburb of Blackrock, if the sounds of confit cherry tomatoes, fennel sausage and salsiccia picante float your boat this is somewhere to try quicker than immediately. The more laidback, casual sibling of Forest Avenue, a similar considered approach is applied to the menu.
