Gusto Liverpool recently launched a brand-new pizza experience which involves making your own pizza and piping cannolis while guided by your own pizza host and a chef.
I visited Gusto at the Albert Dock to put the experience to the test. Designed for parties of six to 10 people, you take a seat at the chef’s table and are introduced to your pizza host who will keep you entertained throughout the two-hour experience while offering guidance and talking you through the ingredients used.
Our pizza host Danny greeted us warmly and asked the six of us to all pop on our Gusto aprons before taking a seat and enjoying a glass of complimentary fizz. Danny then gave us the important announcement that whoever makes the best pizza gets to keep their Gusto apron - challenge accepted!
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Before the task began, we were served antipasti boards consisting of cheeses, breads, parma ham and olives, plus three different flavours of dough petals - garlic, pork and tomato (vegan). The starters were delicious and whet our appetites for the main event.
Danny came round sprinkling flour all over the table ready for us to have a go at rolling balls of dough. The pizza chef was on hand to show us the best technique to achieve the perfect round shape. As the dough requires proving time, we used dough balls that had been prepared earlier.
Then the next task began - rolling and pinning our own pizza bases. This is a lot harder than it sounds, which became apparent when all of us had different sized bases and some had holes in or no crust at all, but we got there in the end.
Once we'd achieved the size and thickness we wanted, it was time to add our toppings. With so many fresh ingredients available, I couldn’t resist adding quite a few. I opted for mozzarella, chicken, parma ham, red onion, red pepper and fresh tomato, finished off with a sprinkling of parmesan.
While our pizzas were in the oven, we were taken over to the bar area to relax with our drinks while admiring the view over the Albert Dock. The pizzas didn't take long to cook, so we were soon seated back at the chef’s table ready to devour our creations. I have to say, mine was absolutely delicious - I think I've found a new calling.
If you aren't able to finish all of your pizza, you can take it away in a Gusto pizza box. This is ideal if you want to ensure you’ve got room for the final element of the pizza experience - piping and decorating cannolis for dessert.
Danny showed us the best way to use the piping bag - his instructions containing a few cheeky innuendos - and I have to say this was probably my favourite part of the night. There was a lot of laughter as we each tried to perfectly fill our cannoli cases with the sweetened ricotta. As a dessert lover, getting to choose which sauces and toppings to dip my cannoli into was a dream. I opted for Biscoff sauce and chopped pistachios which was a delicious combination.
It’s safe to say our whole party thoroughly enjoyed Gusto’s pizza experience and it succeeded our expectations. Sometimes when you see “make your own pizza”, it’s literally just chucking some toppings on a pre-made base, but Gusto’s experience was the real deal.
It’s great that the chef’s table is in the middle of the restaurant, too, as you can soak up the bustling atmosphere. Our pizza host Danny was an utter delight and made the experience even more enjoyable.
Priced at £45 per person, I think the Gusto pizza experience is perfect for special occasions or if you’re wanting something a little different to your usual meal out. The pizza experience is certainly the most fun I’ve ever had at a restaurant. You can book Liverpool Gusto’s pizza experience here.
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