It is thought that pizzerias account for nearly 20 per cent of all the world’s restaurants. This fact alone speaks volumes about the popularity of this humble Italian dish that has, over the years, been adopted and modified by hundreds of different countries and cultures. And Abu Dhabi is no different, with both high-end five-star eateries and dingy backstreet diners serving up this ubiquitous dish. But what makes pizza so popular?
Being the grizzled, investigative journalists that we are, we researched this question thoroughly. And the best answer we found? ‘Because they taste like hot sandwiches’. Very true, but aside from this interesting assertion, we believe the pizza’s popularity is largely down to the fact that it consists of simple, cheap and tasty ingredients, which can be interchanged to suit the tastes of different cultures and ethnicities.
But let’s not dwell on the technicalities for too long. The fact is that pizzas are just downright delicious, and, luckily for us, there are plenty of pizza options across Abu Dhabi. In celebration of Italy’s greatest gift to the world, and, slightly more tenuously, the fact that October is USA Pizza Month, Time Out’s dedicated staff compromised their health to find the finest in the city.
Boccaccio: A wafer-thin, crunchy base combines with a covering of top-quality ingredients to produce a first-class effort. The right amount of tomato sauce combined with some salty cheese and a generous helping of chewy sausage. The pizza’s quest for a perfect score was perhaps slightly hampered by a tad too much oil on the surface – good for getting a greasy chin, not so good if you want to fit into your figure-hugging Levis. Best to use a knife and fork to demolish this one because, first of all, Boccaccio is a classy establishment, and, secondly, the pizza’s flimsiness could leave you with tomatoey stains down the front of your new frock if you try using your hands.
InterContinental Abu Dhabi, Al Bateen (02 666 6888).
Percellina (Dhs80)
4/5
IL Palazzo: Even though it’s slightly dated, we love the faux-Italian taverna vibe to this small restaurant. Unfortunately, we don’t have the same adoration for the pizzas. We ordered the bresoala and its base was too dry and covered with what seemed like half a windmill of flour, while the cheese and tomato were of mediocre quality and taste. Meanwhile, the giant discs of beef pepperoni that were draped all over the pie were far from being the best faux sausages we’ve ever chomped on. Head here for a romantic candlelit dinner, but shun the pizza oven.
Al Ain Palace, Al Markaziyah (02 679 4777).
Bresaola (Dhs65)
2/5
Amalfi: The Italians can claim many great inventions as their own – the electric battery, the typewriter and the parachute to name but three. We think pizza’s up there too, but we’re still not sure whether folding it in half and calling it calzone is an improvement on an already brilliant culinary creation. Amalfi’s take on this doubled-up pie isn’t bad. The dough is chewy without being stodgy, there are masses of tangy cheese, meat and vegetables, but, as with all calzone’s, we find the experience a bit too jumbled up to enjoy each flavour individually. We think it’s time to make a stand – say no to the fold and go for the unsullied circular spectacular instead.
Le Royal Meridien, Al Markaziyah (02 674 2020).
Mixed calzone (Dhs70)
3/5
Amici: Asparagus and salmon are the foodstuffs gym bunnies live off to keep their slim line figures. But when the ingredients sit atop 12 inches of heart-clogging cheese and dough, this is the kind of meal that would have your average fitness fanatic sprinting away from the table. If you’re not concerned about your waistline, this pizza is a real winner, with a crunchy thin base, ample servings of tomato sauce and mozzarella, and plenty of toppings. If only the restaurant interior had a bit more soul, it could well be our favourite pizza spot in the capital.
Yas Hotel, Yas Island (02 656 0000).
Asparagus and salmon pizza (Dhs75)
4/5
La Mamma: The pizza’s name may sound like an insult to former Italy and Chelsea attacking midfielder, Gianfranco Zola, and his pint-sized stature, but in actuality it refers to the topping of cured meat and gorgonzola cheese. And what a taste bud-tingling covering it is. In fact, it lifts the decidedly average standard of the base and tomato sauce into the realms of excellence, with its unusual combination of flavours; the juniper-flavoured meat blends with the salty blue cheese to hit your palate like a taste train. The restaurant itself is a bit dated, and the rest of the dishes aren’t the best in the capital, but it’s worth popping in for a pizza pie alone.
Sheiraton Abu Dhabi, Corniche (02 677 3333).
Zola e Speck (Dhs60)
4/5
Pappagallo: At first glance, this vegetable-packed pizza looks a little watery – but don’t be fooled. Pappagallo is on to a winner here. A good pizza starts with a good base, and this one doesn’t disappoint, being thin and chewy without slipping into doughy territory. The smoked duck is particularly moreish, and the blue cheese adds some depth to the taste without being overpowering. Perfectly toasted pine nuts bring some welcome texture to the plate. Can’t finish it? Don’t worry, the waiters are happy to box it up, and this one tastes as good cold as it does hot. Fact.
Le Méridien Abu Dhabi, Tourist Club Area (02 644 6666).
Smoked duck and blue cheese pizza (Dhs60)
4/5
Lemon Tree: This particular pizza came drastically overloaded with toppings, which, for us, is the hallmark of a chef with no confidence in the quality of his base. Scraping away the oodles of cheese and bite-size lumps of chicken, our suspicions were justified as we chomped down on a fairly bland, doughy crust, which – at its edges – came with the sort of greasy sheen you’d associate with a more downmarket takeaway effort. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing – just don’t bring any discerning Italian friends to the table, unless you fancy being treated to a particularly shrill cry of ‘mamma mia’ and a slap round the chops. Overall, this one’s average at best.
Holiday Inn, 31st Street, Muroor (02 657 4888).
Pollo pizza (Dhs40)
3/5
BriccoCafé: When it comes to pizza, we’re beginning to think that the ‘less is more’ rule applies. Picking it up by the crust, this one flops downwards at a 90 degree angle; such is the weight of the toppings. Still, having shaken off the excess, we were left with a very decent slice, with the fundamentals – rich sauce, crispy base – handled very well indeed. The prices are a tad on the high side (though given the aforementioned topping density, sharing is a good option), and there’s no offer of freshly ground black pepper, but otherwise this is a respectable effort that ought to leave you with a satisfied grin.
Al Wahda Mall, Al Wahda (02 635 4162).
Verdure pizza (Dhs50)
3/5
Certo: Certo is the kind of restaurant that divides opinion even more than toast or cereal as the best breakfast option. We’ve heard some claim Certo is the best Italian in the city; others will tell you it’s a mediocre eatery that lags behind its rivals. If its pizza is anything to go by, we’re with the latter camp. An uninspiring effort with a floury, stodgy base. Topped with chewy cheese, its only redeeming feature was the spicy beef pepperoni. We picked the meat off and left the rest for the trash men.
Souk Qaryat Al Beri, Bain Al Jessrain (02 558 1161).
Pepperoni pizza (Dhs69)
2/5
Eat Smart: This mall eatery offers up a small selection of pizzas. Nothing taking your fancy? Don’t panic, just create your own custom version. We chose four toppings – spinach, goat’s cheese, artichoke and fresh tomato. Although Eat Smart bills itself as a healthy dining spot, our pizza came so heavily laden with cheese we had to pick most of it off, or else risk a coronary. Toppings are generous, though, and the spinach and artichoke fresh. The base is thin and crispy, although it buckled under the sheer weight of the cheese mountain, so eating with your hands is a messy option.
Fotouh Al Khair Centre, Airport Road (02 634 6624).
Own Choice (Dhs45)
2/5
Pizza Amore: For a cheap and cheerful, but high-quality pizza, your best bet is Pizza Amore. Their eponymous pie is topped with a combo of fresh spinach, juicy prawns, chilli flakes and mozzarella. Even the small pizza is big enough for two, and the toppings are plentiful – the generous sprinkling of chilli flakes will leave your lips pleasantly tingling when you’ve finished eating. The puffy crust is fluffy on the inside and crisp and oily on the outside. If you have enough room, order a side of their crunchy garlic bread with cheese too, all for under Dhs30. Bargain!
Pizza Amore, Tourist Club Area (02 644 9990).
Pizza Amore (Dhs24)
4/5
Filini: To be honest, we fail to see the point of a four cheese pizza. Why boast about the amount of fromage when a blast in the oven turns it into a melted, gooey mess? Case in point is this creation from the Italian restaurant at Radisson Blu Yas Island. We couldn’t find fault with the thin base, and the tangy tomato sauce was right on the money with grease levels kept to a minimum. But the so-called four cheeses were just far too bland to make this anything more than an average bite. Note to self: don’t allow your head to be turned by the cheese Sirens. Vegetables and meat can be just as attractive.
Radisson Blu Yas Island, Yas Island (02 656 2000).
Pizza quattro formaggi (Dhs65)
3/5
Riviera: There are people in Abu Dhabi who claim these are the best pizzas in the city. We’re not going to go that far, but they’re certainly tasty. They’re also huge; this particular pie had enough dead chicken on it to constitute a farmyard massacre. Plenty of veg and cheese added to the sheer obesity of the beast, which ultimately disintegrated under its own weight. A pizza, a salad and a pasta dish is all you need to feed a family of four. Take two pizzas to your table and the legs are likely to fall off.
Riviera, Al Bateen Marina (02 665 0144).
Pizza pollo (Dhs65)
3/5
Vasco’s: This restaurant’s a bit of an institution in Abu Dhabi, and part of its firm standing is the excellence of the pizza. We found it almost lived up to its reputation with a base that was well cooked in an authentic stone oven (although if we’re really being picky it could have been crisper). This pizza is all about the seafood, however, with chunks of shrimp, squid, mussels and fish all competing for space. If you’re a fan of all that swims in the sea, you’ll demolish this one in no time.
Hiltonia Beach Club, Hilton Abu Dhabi, Corniche (02 681 1900).
Pizza fruit di mare (Dhs85)
4/5
Prego’s: If you’re not interested in authentic sausage, it’s probably best to keep away from this one. It’s a disc of calorific enormity, packed with slices of tangy Italian meat on a sea of rich cheese. The dough is sturdy, able to take the full oily hit and not collapse in your hand, and a hint of tomato sets this aside from being straightforward salami and cheese on toast. There’s a salty aftertaste to it, suggesting that the calories aren’t the only thing your heart will curse you for, but if you’re in the mood for a guilty splurge, this is a big-smile pizza full of dormant shame.
Beach Rotana, Tourist Club Area (02 697 9011).
Calabrese (Dhs80)
4/5
Winner
Spaccanapoli: Debates over pizza toppings can get fairly heated, but the chef here has a cunning solution. Order the ingenious metre-long pizza and you can have up to four different toppings right there on a single base; a base which, if left to go hard and stale, could feasibly double as a surfboard. Not that you’d give it the chance to even approach rigor mortis, since between the floury, chewy base and the flavoursome toppings, we found this a truly excellent pizza. Better still, the city-wide trend for excess cheese is thankfully bucked, and there’s even a tub of olive oil and balsamic vinegar thrown in meaning your crust needn’t go to waste. Spaccanapoli’s effort proves you can have quality and quantity. Looks like we have a winner!
Crowne Plaza Abu Dhabi, Hamdan Street (02 621 0000).
Metre-long pizza (Dhs260)
5/5
Three ways to anger an Italian pizza chef
1 Claim his offering isn’t as good as the takeaway you get from Dominoes/Pizza Hut
2 Ask for pineapple. Italians just don’t do fruit on pizza. You might as well ask them for a grapefruit and banana combo
3 Ask for tomato ketchup. Ketchup was invented in the States to improve on the quality of burgers and hot dogs. If you’re asking for this condiment in a real Italian restaurant, it’s almost as if you were making a vicious slur about the chef’s mother, so don’t be surprised if he comes at you with a meat cleaver
Saga of the slice
If you thought pizza was as Italian as Leonardo Da Vinci driving around in an open-topped Ferrari Testarossa, you’d be as wrong as the historical accuracy of this simile. In fact, it originated in this part of the world, where flat bread covered in cheese has been a staple dish in the Middle East for centuries (you rarely see the manakesh and the pizza in the same room at the same time).
Sandwiching a layer of tomato paste between the dough and cheese began in Europe in the 16th century, after the squishy red fruit began to be imported from the Americas. But until the 19th century, pizza was a food only for the Italian peasantry, which might explain their high mortality rate (that, and the plague of course). The tasty disc’s first recorded mention in literature was by French writer Alexandre Dumas (of The Three Musketeers fame) who accurately described the toppings preferred by the humble folk of Naples as ‘oil, lard, tallow, cheese, tomato and anchovies.’ Lard-covered pizzas, somewhat unsurprisingly, never took off outside the slums of Naples.
At the end of the 19th century, Italian immigrants brought the dish with them to America, but it didn’t gain recognition as a national dish until World War II when US servicemen stationed in Italy snacked on the indigenous dish and developed a taste for the cheesy disks. Obesity loomed on the horizon.
How do you eat yours?
A lot can be said about a person by the way they eat pizza.
Traditionalists
Pizzas in Italy are served whole, rather than being cut into slices before arriving at the table. As such, Italians tend to eat their national dish with a knife and fork, rather than grabbing at it with their mitts.
Danglers
There are people who want their pizza and want it now. There’s no time for knives and forks or folding, and no qualms about treating their dining companions to the back of their throats – it’s simply a case of tilting back the head and lowering the pizza into the gaping gob. Comparisons could be made to a duck eating a slice of bread – chewing isn’t necessary.
Folders
Not quite as conservative as the traditionalist, but a little more restrained than the dangler, the folder ensures the toppings don’t end up on the tablecloth by folding the pizza slice lengthways before eating.
Crusties
Crusties are a weird breed of people who insist on eating the crust first. They usually do so by tearing it off and dipping it in ketchup or some other condiment. It’s thought that crusties subscribe to the motto ‘the best things come to those who wait’. Yes, they’re a
bit odd.
Top feeders
This group tends to consist of children aged four-11 who insist on picking the topping off the crust and eating it separately. However, some fail to grow out of this annoying habit and continue to infuriate their dining companions by dissecting their pizza.
