When it comes to food, a well-made pizza is about as good as it gets. No wonder it’s one of the world’s most popular snacks. (350 slices eaten every second in the US alone, apparently!) Here are some of our picks of the best pizza restaurants in Hong Kong – takeaway pizza and delivery options!
The Pizza Project
It feels like The Pizza Project is on a serious quest for the perfect crust. And they just may have found it. A secret blend of four flours produces a dough that’s wonderfully crisp on the outside and with a light airy interior. It’s the ideal base for all their wonderful array of toppings.
The menu is just one page and includes some good-looking antipasti as well as gnocco fritto; but we were visiting for the pizza! There are nine to choose from, with options to tailor-make your own, plus vegan cheese and even a gluten-free dough. First up, we tried the Salsiccia e Funghi ($110). One word: delicious. The Carbonara ($140) was also a thing of beauty – rich and decadent, each slice of this pizza is adorned with a crisp piece of pancetta and a perfectly cooked quail egg. Our third choice was the Rustica (a bargain at $95) with pancetta, sliced potato and rosemary – another tasty pizza, though we wouldn’t have minded more rosemary for our taste.
We shared a couple of desserts – the Pici Tiramisu ($65) never disappoints and the White Chocolate Mousse ($65) was smooth with the raspberry jam cutting through the richness. We finished off with a cheeky shot of Limoncello.
As with all Pirata Group restaurants, the emphasis is on great food, value and service. And The Pizza Project delivers on all fronts!
G/F, 5 Star Street, Wan Chai & G/F, 26 Peel Street, Central
2577 7227 | thepizzaproject.hk
Dough Bros
What sets Dough Bros apart from the crowd is, quite simply, the dough! Sourdough to be precise which gives the pizzas a characteristic taste and slightly chewy texture.
There are 12 to choose from; we ordered The Works ($168), The Maui Deluxe ($168) and the newest pizza, The Carbonara ($168).
The showstopper was without doubt the latter, with its perfect mix of pancetta, egg and cheese, great for any time of day or night or even the morning after! All pizzas here are hand-rolled to order and come with a portion of house-made signature garlic and herb dip for an added level of indulgence and smack of flavour.
Vegetarians and vegans are well catered for, and ingredients can be swapped, including vegan cheese.
It would be remiss of us not to mention the doughnuts ($38 each) – soft and sweet freshly cooked balls of loveliness oozing with delicious fillings. It was a close contest between the lemon donut and the Nutella donut as our favourite.
Dough Bros is takeaway only, with eight stores dotted around Hong Kong, the most recent opening in Sai Kung. Conveniently located on Man Nin Street, this new branch is sure to be a hit with Sai Kungers and weekend visitors alike.
Motorino
Motorino first opened its doors on Shelley Street in 2013 and has become a firm favourite serving up some of the city’s best Neapolitan pizzas. Top quality ingredients are imported from Italy and the restaurant uses a custom-made Steffano Ferrara gas-fired oven supplemented by some wood to add that signature charred taste.
The oven cooks each pizza in around 90 seconds so our pies arrived in no time at all. We ordered the Margherita ($188), Soppressata Piccante ($208) and Polpette ($208). Our waiter generously grated pecorino on the pizzas at the table, which instantly melted, adding another layer of savoury goodness. The Margarita was perfect, and the Polpette very tasty with its meatballs and basil. My favourite was the Soppresata Picante, with slivers of garlic and just the right amount of spice (for me, that is – my husband and daughter said they would have enjoyed more heat!).
The drinks list is exclusively Italian with interesting regional wines and two signature (and classic) cocktails: Negroni ($98) and Aperol Spritz ($98). The menu includes some sharing appetisers and a couple of desserts, and there’s a good value weekday set lunch.
Motorino underwent a refurb last year, and the new smart décor looks set to take the restaurant on for another decade.
14 Shelley Street, Central & 15 Ship Street, Wan Chai
motorinohongkong.com | 2801 6881
Amalfitana
Following the success of Amalfitana at The Pulse, the restaurant opened its doors on Wyndham Street last year and brings a relaxed Mediterranean vibe to Central.
The light and breezy décor is welcoming, and an Italian imported Ceky Oven takes pride of place in the restaurant. There’s a nice selection of starters and bar snacks, ideal to share. But the real focus is on pizza. There are 19 artisan pizzas featuring quality Italian ingredients such as Parma Ham DOP 24 Months and Mozzarella Fior Di Latte. The dough is left to develop over 24 to 36 hours making it more digestible, and you can watch the chefs expertly slap and shape the pizza to a perfect thinness before generously topping each pie.
We started with a simple yet perfect Pepperoni Pizza ($170), with a thin and crispy base with salty pepperoni – the highlight of our evening! We were looking forward to The Amalfitana ($250) with two types of mozzarella, tomatoes, mushrooms, Parma ham and rocket; the taste was great but the base lost some crunch, which was a bit disappointing. Our waiter noted this and quickly chatted with the chef so that our final pizza, the Guanciale e Tartufo ($230), was crisp and light.
Next time we visit, we’ll leave room for dessert, as the Nutella Pizza ($90) with strawberries and bananas caught our eye. There’s a good choice of wines, Italian-themed cocktails and some interesting Digestivi.
Shops D&E, G/F, Yu Yuet Lai Building, 43-55 Wyndham Street, Central
2688 2001 | amalfitana.hk
Pizzeria Italiana
As I walked up the stairs to this first-floor restaurant in Kennedy Town, wafting aromas of freshly baked pizza greeted me. This is a casual family-style restaurant, reminiscent of neighbourhood dining in Italy. Tables are adorned with red checked tablecloths, and it’s rustic and welcoming.
The menu boasts a whopping 38 different pizzas, in 11 or 14 inch sizes, so even the pickiest eaters can enjoy the perfect pie; extra toppings are also available. I had ordered my pizzas to take away. The Godfather ($168) was meaty with sausage, salami and spicy beef, and balanced well with mushrooms, red peppers and onions. The Cabrese ($150) was delicious, too – the simple yet quality ingredients doing all the work. The pizzas are cooked on a 400-degree-Celsius hot stone, resulting in a crispy and deliciously light crust.
There’s a full selection of pastas, Italian tapas and specials for dining in, making this a great choice for all the family. The $98 three-course weekday set lunch offers tremendous value, and is available at all three locations including Mosque Street and Sai Ying Pun.
144-148 Belcher’s Street, Kennedy Town
2525 2133 | pizzeriaitalia.hk
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