The best pizza in Cornwall
Cornwall is quickly becoming a go-to destination for foodies nationwide. Alongside many farmers markets and food festivals, independent business and artisan producers are popping up all over the county. So it comes as little surprise that the demand for authentic pizza is pretty high. Fortunately, Kernow has welcomed a huge amount of pizzerias in the last few years, each putting their own spin on this favourite dish. In this article, we look at 10 of the best pizzas in Cornwall, and we even got the chance to speak to some of the chefs and owners about their tasty creations.
La Bocca Pizza Kitchen, Bude
La Bocca Pizza Kitchen has been serving hungry locals in the seaside resort of Bude since 2015. Creating authentic Neapolitan pizza and other tempting Italian dishes, the team at La Bocca have made an adventurous menu including both traditional pizzas and meals with a contemporary twist. Whether you’re looking to dine in, or take away a pizza to enjoy on Bude’s golden beaches, you won’t be disappointed.
“Our head chef is from Napoli, the home of pizza!” said restaurant manager Ben Hutchings. “We feel our pizza stands out as we make them from scratch in the traditional style with delicious, basic ingredients. We use Italian pizzeria flour to make our dough to a special recipe. The dough is made fresh daily and hand stretched, which produces a soft base with a crispy cornicione (outer rim). We make a simple sauce using Italian tomatoes and salt and 100% mozzarella cheese to top.
“Our most popular pizza is probably the La Bocca Nera, which is our signature pizza made using a black dough and topped with tomato, rocket, prosciutto, mozzarella, cherry tomatoes, ricotta, parsley and garlic oil.”
The Cornish Pizza Company, St Agnes
With each pizza dedicated to the area’s mining history, The Cornish Pizza Company has a truly special business in the region. You’ll notice that the pizzas are named after Cornwall’s spectacular tin mines, such as Wheal Friendly and Wheal Prosper. The team make the dough daily in their St Agnes kitchen, which is then hand-stretched to order and topped with delicious local ingredients including Cornish Blue and Cornish Yarg cheeses, as well as mouth-watering meats from Bateman’s Quality Butchers.
“At our multi-award-winning pizzeria, our dough and sauces are freshly made daily on the premises, to our own recipes,” said owner Tim Barton. “The hand-stretched pizzas are finished with our delicious toppings, then cooked in our stone-based Italian oven. Cornish ingredients are used as much as possible, including cheese, vegetables, meat and charcuterie.
“Our continued commitment to local sourcing has been recognised in being awarded Taste of the West Gold every year since 2013, as well as annually being either winner or runner up Best South West Local Food Take Away.”
With such an impressive range to choose from, we asked Tim to tell us about their most popular pizzas: “Always popular are the Wheal Plenty with mushrooms, ham, salami, pepperoni and olives, and Wheal Alfred with sundried tomatoes, olives, red onion chutney and goats cheese. The spicy Wheal Fire and vegan Wheal Charlotte are firm favourites too.
“Our regularly changing seasonal specials offer further delicious options, like the Wheal Primrose with award-winning local ‘Nduja (spicy, melting salami in southern Italian style) and the Christmas celebration pizza with Cornish brie, cranberry and pigs in blankets!”
As The Cornish Pizza Company is so popular, it’s advisable to phone in advance for collection later. They are open throughout the year with times adjusting seasonally.
Jaws Pizza, Pityme
Tucked away in the small village of Pityme, Jaws Pizza is most definitely a hidden gem for those on a Cornwall camping holiday. This tiny pizza kitchen lies within Pityme Industrial Estate, serving hungry residents and tourists in nearby Rock and Polzeath. If you’re visiting the coast of North Cornwall, perhaps for a day out in the delightful fishing village of Port Isaac (made famous by Doc Martin), be sure to pick up a pizza from Jaws and take it to the beach for an unforgettable sunset meal. Every pizza on the menu is named after a famous wave, such as Mavericks in California and Pipeline in Hawaii. Expect high quality toppings, and lots of them, on a gloriously crispy base.
Rojano’s in the Square, Padstow
Serving rustic Italian and Mediterranean inspired dishes, Rojano’s in the Square comes from the same owners of Paul Ainsworth at No.6. Led by Chef Paul Dodd, the eatery is famous for its exceptional sourdough pizzas, made with Campana Buffalo Milk Mozzarella. Try the Umami Bianco with garlic crème fraiche, caramelised white onion, pancetta bacon and parmesan, or the adventurous Valencia, topped with red pesto, chilli tiger prawns, buffalo mozzarella, spring onions, basil and Grana Padano.
Sam’s on the beach, Polkerris
On the south coast of Cornwall, not too far from our holiday parks in Looe and Polperro, sits the delightful village of Polkerris. Complete with a picturesque bay flanked by woodland, Polkerris may look rather unassuming, but it’s also home to one of Cornwall’s most popular restaurants. Sam’s on the Beach has quickly gained a strong reputation for its pizza and seafood, and seafood pizza for that matter. We caught up with the team at Sam’s on the Beach to find out more about their unique restaurant:
“This once RNLI lifeboat station began as an old boat house and slipway all of 150 years ago, and although we don’t do anything as dramatic as save lives anymore, we can certainly still put smiles on people’s faces with Sam’s tried and tested formula of great food, great staff and great atmosphere.
“With its custom-built wood burning pizza oven churning out artisan slices of heaven, combined with the traditionally exceptional seafood that has become so familiar at Sam’s, The Beach is truly a Combers’ paradise. The open kitchen allows you to see all the action inside, while the floor to ceiling windows bring the outside in during the cold winter months, allowing you to bask in the beauty of Polkerris harbour and the whole of St Austell Bay beyond.
“During the summer we lose the windows altogether and just let the light shine on. Think Ibizan bistro, blissed out beats and cool cocktails. Lazing on the terrace, soaking up the sun – a vibe that has to be experienced first-hand to be fully appreciated.”
All pizzas at Sams are hand-rolled and topped with fresh ingredients before being cooked in their traditional wood-fired oven, which runs on sustainable seasoned wood. The team added: “We have an extensive pizza menu, further to this we create weekly special pizzas featuring unique ideas such as; a famous special: Crab and scallop deluxe with white crab meat, asparagus, scallops, black pudding and a fresh egg. We are known for our regular pizzas, a favourite being ‘The Hot Meat’. We also have gluten-free pizza bases in case of intolerance and allergies.
“So, if any of this sounds appealing (let’s be honest, it all does), then follow the signs from Par where tucked away down a Cornish lane, you’ll find Sam’s on the Beach, a great place to escape to – whatever the weather.”
Little Italy, Newquay
Since opening in 2009, Little Italy has quickly become an institution in the coastal resort of Newquay. Creating stone baked pizza and simple, traditional Italian food, the restaurant brings a taste of the Mediterranean to North Cornwall. As well as its famous pizzas, Little Italy also offers Italian wines, beers and liqueurs, giving you an authentic experience with a fantastic sea view. As the eatery only seats 32, it’s recommended that you book a table.
Mangia, Falmouth
Mangia comes highly recommended by locals and can be found in the picturesque port town of Falmouth. So if you find yourself exploring the rest of the coast on your Looe holiday, be sure to stop by. We spoke to the team at Mangia about their delightful Italian eatery and their delicious pizzas:
“Mangia is an independently operated restaurant run by the Floris family. Valter, the chef, was born in Northern Italy and worked in bakeries in Italy and Switzerland, before working on board cruise ships. It was there that he met his wife, Sandra, who also worked on board. Sandra is from Rutland in the East Midlands, which is where they ran a popular village pub for 12 years, before relocating to Falmouth.
“We have been open for just under three years. Our pizza dough is made fresh daily, we also make our own bread, pasta and ice cream. Our son, Gianluca and our daughter Sophia, also assist us in the business.
“Valter has over 30 years’ experience in dough preparation, and as such makes amazing pizzas! They are thin based and loaded with fresh toppings. Our most popular is the Casareccia, our house pizza, with mozzarella, salami, ham, olives, peppers and oregano. A close a second would be our rocket and goats cheese.”
Street Food Pizzas
Wild Bake, Wadebridge
Just inland from the coast of North Cornwall, you’ll often find wood-fired street food vendor Wild Bake in the town of Wadebridge. Having spent years experimenting with different doughs and flavours, owner Lewis believes he has now perfected his recipe. He has been working as a chef since he was young and has a passion for pizza. Expect classic pizzas with a slight twist, such as mozzarella, chorizo, salami Napoli, oregano and rocket, or the Napolitana with black olives, anchovies, capers, oregano and mozzarella.
Tre-Dragon Pizza, Mawgan Porth
In the small, coastal resort of Mawgan Porth, Tre-Dragon Pizza can often be seen cooking up a storm. Using a mobile wood-fired oven, Tre-Dragon Pizza creates traditional pizzas with simple yet exceptional flavours, and offer guests the option to add extra if they desire. The mobile eatery is so close to the beach that on a sunny day, you just have to walk a few steps to reach the golden sands of Mawgan Porth. Perfect for a hot summer’s evening, or to warm up on a brisk autumn day, we’re sure you won’t be disappointed.
Image credits: La Bocca Pizza Kitchen, Sams on the Beach, The Cornish Pizza Company, Mangia
