Franco Manca has been on my hit list for ages. Pizza is one of my favourite foods, after all, but I just hadn't ever found myself by one at a good time.
So when I was hungry but didn't want to spend a lot of money, it seemed like the perfect thing! I was there in that dead zone between lunch and dinner, and it wasn't busy (but not empty, either). It was a really hot day so I sat inside but almost outside, as the whole front of the restaurant was opened up. They didn't have air conditioning but due to the location, it was in the shade and pleasant.
I was quickly seated and liked the look of the menu, but it was a bit short. I was a bit disappointed with the drink choice though. I don't drink alcohol and I'm not a fan of juice with my food, except at breakfast. They water they'd brought over when I sat down wasn't cold, and as it as over 30C, I really wanted a cold drink, so I ordered the organic lemonade to go with my ham & mushroom pizza.
The drink came fast, but in this stupid bottle - and wasn't cold. Gah. It tasted okay but not great.
The pizza wasn't far behind. It looked appetising (but when the menu said 'little tomato' I didn't anticipate a teaspoon of tomato sauce in the middle). My first bite of crust was great - lovely taste. But then the pizza actually was a bit of a letdown. It was just too rich, with its white base. There wasn't really anything to cut through the richness. The ham was nice, though.
I finished and left a lot of pizza - there was nothing wrong with it, just not to my taste, really. But then the waitress ignored me. I waited for 10 minutes before the waitress came over, all worried that I didn't like my food. I said no, it was fine, and she was relieved and then walked away - without clearing my plate, asking if I wanted anything else, etc etc. Luckily I had enough cash to cover the bill (which I calculated from the menu that's the placemat to be just under £9) and left.
I think I need to go back and try it again, but for now, it's just okay. Better than Pizza Express but no Pizza Pilgrims! read more