Luzzo (Saldanha)
Rinse and repizza
- Saldanha (Linha Vermelha/Amarela)
- €€
- Av. Miguel Bombarda 5 loja A, 1000-207
With its thousands of small and not so small independent restaurants, it's easy to avoid any eatery which may be part of a franchise or chain. That being said, there is an increasing number of brands, particularly in the burger and pizza space, which are gaining a foothold and reputation in Lisbon and beyond. Pizzaria Luzzo, is very much one of those brands, which led us into the Saldanha branch to see what kind of fare they're serving up, as a nod to Italian cuisine.
For those familiar with the British high street (main street to our North American friends), then you'll know all about the ubiquitous franchise Pizza Express. Set up in central London in the 1960's after its founder brought a pizza oven back from Naples, it is now more famous for its dough balls and possible birthday parties in Woking. Such a success are its dough balls, that they can be found in the frozen food sections of supermarkets across the UK for fans to try (and fail) to replicate the garlic-dip delights. With this in mind we ordered Luzzo's equivalent of the mozzarella and garlic roll.
A perfectly crisped line of dough, oozing melted mozzarella glistening with all the evidence of an imminently delicious mouthful, was the perfect starter to sate as we perused the pizza menu.
First up was the Emilia, which we guess is for the similarly named gastro-mecca region in Italy where you can find Bologna and Modena. As the picture shows, this pie comes loaded with presunto, parmesan and a perfectly fried egg in the centre. A real show-stopper which lives up to the name.
Even more indulgent was La Rossa, a perfectly-crisp base heaving under the stress of mozzarella, pisatchio, mortadella, burrata and pesto. The nuttiness of the pistachio and pesto doing just enough to soften the hard creaminess of the burrata. A feast fit for a Roman emperor.
Coming in at less than €30 per person, we see why Luzzo is flourishing around Portugal. It's good pizza at very reasonable prices, what more could you really want?
Drinks: A bottle of white wine, bottle of still water, and a couple of coffees
Don’t forget to order: Get a roll of your choosing to set yourself up for the hearty feast of the Emilia.