PIZZERIA 1926 came highly
recommended to me by my Italian friend Sara, but despite several last-minute
attempts to get a table, I had yet to step through its doors. The second
restaurant of well-known Italian chef Rosario Sartore, this casual eatery is
the sister to the popular Locanda De Gusti, which sits on the other side of
Dalry Road. Sartori is known for sourcing quality ingredients and, from what
I’d heard through the grapevine, that passion for food is matched only by the
love of football.
The year 1926 represents the year Italian football club Napoli was founded and the restaurant is unashamedly decked out in paraphernalia to show where the Italian cook's allegiance lies. The pizza oven is emblazoned with the badge of the Naples-based team and there are several pictures of Napoli (and Argentina) legend Diego Maradona on the walls, of whom our waiter and I would later agree deserved God-like status. He would later lament having to miss his team's 3-1 victory that day due to work commitments.
Sarah and I decided to split a portion of arancini and panzerotti between us, both costing £4.95. The arancini were rich and creamy from the provola cheese. Mine were packed with peas and rice that still had a little bit of bite to it, although my one seemed to lack the meat content of Sarah’s. The coating was just about crispy enough and thankfully grease-free. The panzerotti was the same in terms of texture and the mashed potato filling was smooth and tasty. Again, Sarah seemed to end up with the meatier of the two. Both were seasoned accurately.
When it comes to pizza toppings, nduja is all the rage these days and I love it, so it was the Kalidou (no 26) priced at £9.95 for me. It was sublime. The nduja sausage paste was spicy and filling with well-baked mozzarella bringing a milky soothing note. The spicy sausage brought texture and even more heat which left me wishing I had a cold beer to wash it down rather than red wine.
Sarah ordered the Sarrismo (£9.95) since the artichoke, mushroom, ham and olive toppings took her fancy. The base was light with a crisp edge. Generously topped, the saltiness from the ham and olives worked well with the bitterness of the artichoke. The mushrooms were firm and meaty with the acidity of the tomato sauce proving a kick of acidity.
There was a large table dining in the centre of the room with a couple of infants. It was pleasing to see the staff entertaining them and being so attentive. Service was smooth and relaxed despite several students popping in for takeaway orders on top of the sit-in clientele.
Pizzeria 1926 certainly lived up to the hype. The authentic Neapolitan grub was superb and the hospitality matched the passion for great food. Worth making the effort to visit – just make sure to book in advance.
Twitter: @pizzeria1926
Phone: (0131) 337 5757
Address: 85 Dalry Road, Edinburgh, EH11 2AA
Opening hours: Mon-Thurs 5-10pm, Fri-Sun 12-10pm
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