On behalf of Leeds Living, myself and a friend went to Rudy’s last night to sample some of their pizza offerings and we were so excited!
Even before we walked through the (slightly unusual) front door we could smell the heady aromas of Italian herbs and freshly baked pizza. Queue stomach rumbles. On arrival, we were shown to our table and given time to choose our dishes. The restaurant was pretty busy. However, it seemed that even for walk ins, tables became available very quickly, especially if diners were willing to share large tables between parties.
Whilst perusing the menu we also enjoyed taking in the sights and sounds of the open plan kitchen. I always love to be able to see the chefs in action as I think it can give you a great insight into how a restaurant works. It also enables all the delicious smells to waft into the dining area which is always a big tick in my books.
We didn’t need too long to decide what to order, especially after seeing how good everyone’s pizzas looked around us. We opted to try one of the specials, which are displayed on blackboards around the restaurant. The special we chose was a pizza topped with a pumpkin cream base, smoked mozzarella, walnuts, rocket and slices of coppa (a pork cold cut like salami). We also couldn’t resist trying out one of the standard menu items, the ‘romagnola’, a margherita pizza topped with rocket, prosciutto crudo (a thinly sliced cured ham), Parmesan shaving and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil. We also ordered a side salad to share.
Both pizzas were huge – literally falling off the plates. And, they were generously topped, albeit not that evenly. The side salad wasn’t much to write home about and I wouldn’t recommend ordering it, unless you are desperate for some extra greenery. The pizza bases were incredibly soft, and the crusts were perfectly chewy – ideal for dipping into chilli oil or balsamic vinegar.
Of the two pizzas we ordered we both preferred the romagnola as we loved the combination of classic flavours which complimented each other perfectly. The pumpkin pizza was unusual. I didn’t enjoy the strongly smoked mozzarella as I found it overpowering. We both thought that the pumpkin base would have benefited from being creamier and would have both liked some fresh tomatoes on top to cut through the strong flavours. However, we enjoyed the pizza and would still recommend giving it a go as it reminded us both of eating a bowl of soup with toasted bread by the fire.
The ambience in Rudy’s is fab. The high ceilings and open plan kitchen kept the restaurant fresh and contemporary, whilst the popular music and hustle and bustle of people ensure the place was grounded and relaxed. We both thought that the service was great and loved how quickly the pizzas came out – probably because they only take 60 seconds to cook! I will certainly be going back to Rudy’s soon as I am keen to try more of their pizzas, especially considering how affordable they are! Our whole meal, which included a cocktail priced at £6.50, cost just £26 – an absolute steal in my opinion!
