Rudy’s Pizza has taken Leeds by storm with multiple venues popping up across the city, serving up its popular Neapolitan style pizza to happy customers.
The chain has 17 venues across the country with three located in Leeds city-centre, Chapel Allerton and Headingley. Rudy’s has been hailed as ‘excellent’ on Tripadvisor with hundreds of reviews singing its praises.
Leeds customers have said the quality of the pizza is the closest you can get to visiting Italy without actually buying a plane ticket.
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Reviewer Eve T said: “The atmosphere was amazing it was like being in Italy, but I was instead in Headingley. Huge slice and amazing food!!!!”
Monty Towns said: “Italy comes to Headingley! We had such an amazing time at Rudy’s! The food was delicious.”
Another added: “So I can’t claim to have been to Italy but I’ve watched enough Gino D’Acampo cooking shows to know that this place is the real deal.”
Bold words. We also decided to put the pizzeria to the test. We ordered the El Supremo, along with the venues garlic aioli dip and a bottle of Italian soft drink Chinotto to fully ingrain ourselves within the Napolitano spirit, from our nearest Rudy’s on Stainbeck Lane, Chapel Allerton.
The El Supremo looked marvellous as we opened the box, from the thick charred crust to the variety of toppings sitting atop the glistening mozzarella cheese – in Neopolitan style, it also hadn’t been cut into slices, adding another layer of authenticity.
Rudy’s describes this pizza as their twist on a best seller from the world famous Roberta’s in Brooklyn, NYC. Toppings include San Marzano tomatoes, fior di latte mozzarella, Calabrian pepperoni, Italian fennel sausage, green bell peppers and oregano.
What I love most about these Neopolitan style pizzas is the base, its wafer thin soft charred texture. These ever so slightly burnt touches along the crust add a rustic charm and the sort of flavour you’d never find in a American style chain like Domino’s or Papa John’s etc.
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The pizza went down really easily. It was packed generously with the meat toppings and vegetables, making each bite a sumptuous experience, allowing for us to be amply sated.
The garlic arioli dip was sharp and piquant with enough sauce in the pot to pair with a whole pizza - although I decided to put it to one side as I found it was taking over the flavour of the glorious pizza.
The Chinotto came in a small glass bottle, one that would look at home at an Italian garden party in the sunshine. The fizzy drink is made from oranges and the fruit's sour flavour is distinct. It tasted like a rich orange flavoured coke with a slightly more viscous texture.
The only drawback was the pizza got cold fast. There were instructions on the box of how to correctly reheat it – if the restaurant knew this was a likely risk, this information would have been more helpful if emailed in advance.
Overall, splendid pizza that rivals its competitors Pizza Fella and Pizza Loco, two other establishments which offer a rich Neapolitan experience.
The bill
- El Supremo - £13.90
- Garlic Arioli Dip - £2.20
- Chinotto - £3.20
- Total (with delivery and service fee): £21.28
- Final total (including £5 Deliveroo promotion): £16.28
