I completed my first duathlon on Saturday. That has absolutely zero relevance to this article other than for the fact that when times were tough on the course, it was the thought of this meal that kept me going, and for that, Rudy’s, I thank you.
Rudy’s Neapolitan Pizza has been a firm favourite of Leeds’ locals ever since it opened its doors on New Station Street in 2020, and now the award-winning pizzeria has expanded into the leafy suburb of Chapel Allerton.
Their new venue has taken over the former site of Casa Mia, with the space being almost unrecognisable from its previous owners. The light, airy dining room toes the line between smart and casual, with unfinished wooden panelling, hanging plants and large open windows letting in the fresh summer breeze. Despite the smattering of rain throughout our visit, the décor really gave the space a holiday feel, which was much welcomed! We arrived just after opening, and the place was already buzzy and lively, full of couples and families alike.
We were greeted by friendly members of staff who showed us to a table along the side of the restaurant, with an excellent view of the open plan kitchen towards the back, where we could watch the pizzaiolos working their magic with dough (made on site daily, and double fermented for 24 hours, thank you very much).
The menu is divided into starters and sharers, and pizza Napoletana, with additional toppings available to be added. There are also rotating specials on chalkboards around the dining room. Starters included whole burrata with vine tomatoes, wild rocket, and in-house baked bread, caprese salad, and Nocellara olives, whilst pizzas come with toppings such as fior di latte mozzarella, anchovies, capers and Kalamata olives, or white pizza with vegan mozzarella, butternut squash, sun dried tomato and green chilli.
To begin, we ordered a couple of bottles of San Pellegrino, the classic blood orange, and the more unusual Chinotto, a flavour rarely seen, and one reminiscent of cola and Campari, a perfect, slightly bitter soft drink option that feels a little like a cocktail. Rudy’s also offers a good range of alcoholic options including aperitivos, wine, and beers. As a starter, we decided to share the veggie campana, a sharing board piled high with vegetarian bufala, roasted red and yellow peppers, artichokes, toasted almonds, mixed olives, wild rocket, semi-dried tomato and house-made bread. Everything was beautifully presented, unbelievably fresh and just the nicest way to start a meal. Rudy’s also offers another campagna complete with prosciutto crudo, cured ham and a selection of salamis for the carnivores!
For mains, we chose a Margherita pizza – which I have said many a time is an excellent baseline to judge a pizza restaurant by – and a Parmigiana which came topped with roasted aubergine, pecorino, basil and extra virgin olive oil. Both pizzas arrived piping hot and speckled with the dark leoparding of a truly wonderful dough. Speaking of dough, you can tell that a lot of time and love goes into Rudy’s – their dough is beautifully chewy, light, and flavoursome, and would be a delight to eat all on its own! The ratio of toppings to dough was spot on, and the double ferment meant that even after polishing off an entire pizza each, both my partner and I didn’t have that stuffed feeling you can often get after such a feast, and you know what that means…
Segue to dessert! Rudy’s dessert menu is small but perfectly formed, offering affogato, tiramisu, gelato or tartufo, alongside Kimbo coffee from Naples. My partner chose the tiramisu, which arrived layered with homemade whipped cream, boozy coffee-soaked sponge and biscuits, I opted for the hazelnut tartufo. Translating to ‘truffle’, the tartufo is a little ball consisting of heavenly gelato encasing chocolate, dusted with chopped hazelnuts. It was the perfect way to end a meal.
The service we received from Rudy’s was friendly, and attentive, and the atmosphere in the restaurant was relaxed. This was the perfect place to while away a couple of hours. We recommend wholeheartedly!
10-12 Stainbeck Lane, LS7 3QY, https://www.rudyspizza.co.uk/pizzerias/chapelallerton
Photography by Asli Champion.
