Amongst a battalion of chain Italian restaurants in and around our great City of Leeds, Flying Pizza’s charm and authenticity sparkles.
Located at 60 Street Lane in LS8, Flying Pizza has been in the business of offering mouthwatering plates since 1974; it is a restaurant steeped in history and accolades. The venue was taken over by crowd favourite San Carlo in 2010 and lovingly refurbished in their warm, characterful style.
Given the site’s 50-year stint in the industry, it’s no wonder they’re bang on the money when it comes to not only food and vino, but to the not-so-trifling matter of hospitality, too.
The interiors of Flying Pizza are unfailingly beautiful. It was a cold, dank and overcast evening when we arrived expectantly at the venue – and it was a feast for the eyes long before the first plates arrived. The amber glow of the outdoor fires and warm candlelight peeking out from inside the restaurant made the place look oh-so-inviting and snug as can be.
As we stepped inside, we were led into a large yet super chic dining room, with an equally fashionable crowd. Back in the day, I’m told, this place was an après-work watering hole for every footballer from here to Timbuktu – a fact we are reminded of upon ascent to the loos. The wooden hallway leading upstairs is stunning and every spare inch covered with photographs of a grinning Kelly Brook, a surly Liam Gallagher and even English BAFTA legend Bill Nighy. “You are in good company,” the walls shout as you step back to your table.
The presence of several gorgeous olive trees gave the whole venue an open, light and natural air and you could, for a moment, just about pretend you were about to step out onto a terrazza to watch the setting sun. Alas, as I turned to the window, the flurry of car headlights speeding home reminded me that I was still very much in Roundhay.
As one would hope – nay, expect – the menu and the convivial yet sophisticated surrounds are fiercely loyal in their homage to everything Italian, and in true Italian style, we were treated to an opulent, no-holds barred, four-course affair when we were invited to toddle along to sample their new autumn-winter selection. And toddle we most certainly did.
The evening was led by Marcello Distefano – son of the founder, Carlo Distefano – San Carlo’s Managing Director and a key figure in the family’s iconic restaurant group.
Around the table, votes were unanimous as to the quality of the sumptuous Beef Cheek. Rich, umami and utterly decadent, you could feel every mouthful popping with top-notch ingredients. The combination of tender, slow-cooked beef and the bright, tangy gremolata sang its heart out; the luminescent parsley, capers and garlic presenting themselves as a three-way marriage for the soul. Perfectly accompanied by a lightly sauteed spinach, it was a well-balanced, nourishing plate for the mind and body – just the way Nonna used to make.
What I really loved about this place is the family style serving plates and the gregarious manner with which you’re not only welcomed in, but tended to throughout the entire meal. It is not so much a simple case of having dinner here; every dish bears its own occasion and its own story.
We were told with zeal by one of the charming waiters that the Cartellate Zucca e Tartufo is a point of particular pride; the pumpkins lovingly grown and harvested in his own home region are used to make the very same dish at this time of year. On first reading, the combination of the winter squash with the pecorino, fresh truffle and sage seems like a tricky one to balance – and I wondered how they’d pull it off. To mine and my stomach’s delight the result was beautiful; delicate, sound and distinguished flavours, wrapped up in giant, immaculately chewy pasta parcels swimming in oodles of butter (a finishing flair never to be underestimated.)
For those fishy fiends amongst you, the whole sea bass plate (‘Branzino Cartoccio’ as it is on the menu) was carefully baked in parchment paper and set alongside a bed of olives and tomatoes for a fresh, zealy, savoury-sweet finish. At the risk of sounding like a greedy swine, I could probably have finished the whole thing myself – it was that good.
But other superb delights were the Carpacio di Manzo & Tartufo Blanco (beef carpaccio served with porcini mushrooms and heritage tomatoes) and the Polenta Fritter & Crab, both featuring on the starter menu.
The offering has clearly been crafted to showcase the creme de la creme of the season’s ingredients, and the rich, comforting autumn flavours are prevalent everywhere you look: from the Fici e Culatello (premium Italian cured meats, produced in Bassa Verdiana, served with seasonal figs) to the Pipette Piccanti (pasta in a spicy tomato sauce with a heady vodka finish).
To finish it all off (and to guarantee we’d all need third party assistance out of the door) the evening’s dolci course was two-fold: the Mantecato alla Nocciola (soft hazelnut ice cream, crushed Ferrrero Rocher & chocolate sauce) and the Torta Pistacchio.
Now, the hazelnut was very good – I had no trouble polishing it off – and to its credit, had every Instagrammer in the room positively fawning. But the pistachio was, in my humble opinion, the unsung hero. Pistachio just so happens to be my favourite ice cream and this was one was otherworldly (and I’ve spent some time hunting out the best gelaterias in Italy). Served alongside a rakishly scrummy pistachio torte, it’s clearly not for those with even the teeniest aversion to nuts, but not to worry – I will happily have yours.
The new offering is available now at San Carlo sites in Leeds, London, Manchester, Liverpool, Leicester, Birmingham, and Bristol. You can book a table at the official website: Famous Flying Pizza – Leeds | San Carlo
