The Neapolitan-style pizzas are the real deal
Pizza on the Park at Berkeley Square
It’s only four years old but, in many ways, Pizza on the Park feels like it has been there forever.
But then there has been a pizzeria on this site, discreetly tucked away just off the top of Park Street, for as long as I can remember.
For decades, this was a branch of Pizza Express – one of the first in the national chain in fact – until it closed during the pandemic.
Spacious with an open kitchen and pizza oven the focal point of the dining room, Pizza on the Park isn’t that much different from its days as Pizza Express.
Newer additions to the restaurant include red leather booth seats, neon ‘pizza’ signs and vibrant artwork from local painters.
Most surprising, perhaps, is the huge eight-person Bonzino foosball (table football) table that is free to use for all guests – it certainly keeps the kids occupied as they wait for their meals, and I’m sure the chefs have fun with it between shifts.
The retro revolving door at the entrance is a throwback to its Pizza Express days and it continues to be a source of hilarity with certain members of my family.
I’ve lost count of the times we’ve enjoyed a prank with that door, usually involving somebody sticking a foot down so it stops moving around when an unsuspecting member of the family is trapped mid-turn. Childish, I know, but still funny.
The stylish interior at Pizza on the Park
Happily – and unusual in hospitality where staff move from job to job – there doesn’t seem to be a revolving door in the kitchen.
The same chefs are named on the back of the menu as when I last visited a year ago, along with their birthplace and potted biography.
Sicilian head chef Carlo is still joined in the kitchen by Federico (Sardinia), Antonio (Naples) and Fabrizo (Emilia Romagna), all of which adds to the authentic Italian feel of the menu.
The menu changes frequently as new dishes make an appearance and the latest arrivals include the Primavera pizza (£19) with mozzarella, Gorgonzola piccante, English asparagus, Roman-style artichokes, lemon zest and pea shoots.
Fried artichokes with mint and lemon aioli
We kicked off by sharing a plate of crisp and greaseless fried artichokes with a fresh and zesty mint and lemon aioli (£7) and a small sardine pizzetta (£8.50) – a mini pizza with tomato sauce, garlic, black olives and good quality smoked sardines.
There are 14 pizzas on offer, priced from £11.50 for the Margherita (tomato sauce, mozzarella, fresh basil and a drizzle of Sicilian olive oil) to the Calabrian Hot (£18 – tomato sauce, spicy salami, nduja, Puglian burrata and basil oil).
The pizzas are Neapolitan-style, which means crisp and thin crusts with a decent chew from the dough’s longer, slower fermentation process.
There are 14 types of pizza on offer
Both the anchovy and garlic pizza (£15 with tomato sauce, mozzarella, black olives, capers, anchovies, oregano and garlic oil) and the Parma ham and rocket one (£17.50 – tomato sauce, mozzarella, Parma ham, rocket, Parmesan shavings and drizzle of Sicilian olive oil) were faultless with light bases and a generous carpet of toppings.
As well as pizzas, there are also a couple of tempting pasta options – prawn puttanesca (£17.50 – king prawn linguine in tomato sauce with chilli, garlic, capers, olives and parsley) and the Mafaldine pasta with black truffle, chestnut mushrooms, mascarpone sauce and aged Parmesan (£17).
To finish, we shared the limoncello tiramisu (£7), a refreshing and summery twist on the classic version with limoncello-soaked sponge fingers, light-as-a-feather whipped mascarpone, crunchy chopped pistachios and lemon zest.
Generous portions of carefully cooked Italian favourites at prices that don’t raise eyebrows, Pizza on The Park is still up there with the best pizza joints in the city.
After decades as a Pizza Express, it took a while for Pizza on the Park to establish itself as an independent but after a slow start, it has gained a loyal local following.
You could say the restaurant has been turned around – just like that revolving door.
Pizza on the Park, 31 Berkeley Square, off Park Street, Bristol, BS8 1HP. Tel: 0117 3021515.