New openings – Gallio and Punk Pizza.

GALLIO

With its bold flavours and impeccably sourced ingredients, new Mediterranean pizza restaurant, Gallio, has burst onto London’s food scene, opening its doors in Canary Wharf in the Atrium Kitchen on Upper Level 2 of Cabot Place.

A CRUST ABOVE

Gallio offers a brand new, thoroughly modern style of pizza, alongside sharing mezze-style small plates, seasonal salads, Mediterranean bowls and fully loaded flatbreads, all packed with nutritious and vibrant seasonal ingredients. Certain to stand out from the crowd, the pizza at Gallio is all about the base, say its founders. The dough is a unique blend of carefully sourced grains that not only taste better, but are also packed with antioxidants, they claim, and high in protein and fibre too. Showcasing simplicity at its best, the nutritious grains are mixed with nothing more than sea salt, yeast, extra virgin olive oil and filtered water, before being left to prove for 18 hours. Diners can watch as the trained pizza chefs behind the open counter at the traditional Marana Forni wood-fired oven toss and flip the dough, handcrafting it into that all-important thin and crispy base. Having been taught by Davide D’Auria - a thirdgeneration pizza chef and a previous winner of Best Pizza Chef in the UK at the World Pizza Championship - the Gallio team are skilled in the ‘art of pizza’. The premium toppings on offer also help to transport diners to warmer climes thanks to interesting and unique combinations such as marinated artichoke hearts with sun-dried tomatoes, kalamata olives and mozzarella, nduja with fennel salami, signature red sauce, piquillo peppers, buffalo mozzarella and wild rocket, wild mushrooms with spinach, pumpkin seeds, mozzarella, feta and Aleppo pepper.

Regularly changing seasonal specials will also be on offer in the future, say Gallio, such as Moroccan Ras-el-hanout chicken with Padrón peppers, pickled red onions, mozzarella and pomegranate seeds.

FRESH AND FULL OF FLAVOUR

Whilst pizza takes centre stage, an array of small plates are on offer as well, and are big on flavour (from whipped beetroot borani to roasted garlic hummus and lamb meatballs with minted yoghurt).

Seasonal salads are available as a main or side, with bright and zingy choices including Quinoa Tabbouleh (made with mixed quinoa, cherry tomatoes, parsley, pomegranate seeds and red

onion drizzled with tangy pomegranate vinaigrette) or Roasted Tenderstem Broccoli (with a hint of garlic, toasted seeds, sun-dried tomatoes, kalamata olives and a light tahini dressing). Protein-packed Mediterranean bowls come laden with grains, herbs, shredded carrot, turmeric cauliflower and much more, topped with a choice of Moroccan spiced chicken, lamb kofte, roasted aubergine or pesto-rissa’ salmon. The menu also features a good selection of vegan and glutenfree options, as well as a number of sweet treats to finish such as the Lotus Biscoff Cheesecake and the Molten Chocolate Fondant served with vanilla ice cream.

The drinks list features beers, wines, premium spirits, juices, mocktails and smoothies, alongside plenty of cocktails. Stand out choices include the Mediterranean Martini mixed with apricot, vanilla, vodka and lemon and topped with prosecco, and the Sicilian Sunshine - a blend of Malfy Gin, lemon, orange and cardamom. In keeping with the menu, the décor instantly transports diners to the Med thanks to a warm and earthy colour palate of burnt oranges, natural browns and leafy greens. Fired terracotta and hand- cut glazed tiles complete the look, alongside brass tables, hanging plants, a water feature and a large olive tree.

PIZZA PUNKS

The unlimited topping and San Franciscan pizza brand, Pizza Punks, has confirmed it will open its fifth UK restaurant in Leicester this March.

CREATE YOUR OWN

Opening in the heart of the city at Highcross, Pizza Punks Leicester will join the brand’s locations across the UK, including Glasgow, Belfast, Newcastle and Leeds.

The centre point of the restaurant is the brand’s handcrafted San Franciscan pizza dough - a unique dough that’s proofed for 48 hours and finished with San Marzano tomato, basil and garlic sauce and mozzarella before the house toppings are added. It’s then cooked in wood-fired ovens for the ultimate thin and crisp base with a deliciously chewy thick crust.

Advocates of freedom and expression, Pizza Punks offers a distinctive pizza experience – create your own - with 35 unlimited toppings to choose from, all made from scratch in the Pizza Punks kitchens, to create your own personalised punked up pizza. All for one flat fee, there are no extra costs, just handmade, in-house pizza (Pizza Punks Leicester also offers Halal, vegan, gluten-free and vegetarian options).

PASTA TOO

New to the Pizza Punks offering and available at the new Leicester site, customers will be able to try fresh pasta, handmade in the restaurant each day.

As with the brand’s bespoke approach to pizza, guests will be given the option to ‘punk up’ their pasta with a choice of sauces and the finest Italian ingredients, choosing from Nduja, Tuscan sausage and salt & chilli chicken.

Pizza Punks Leicester will also offer craft beers and in-house cocktails, with guests able to choose from a selection of suitably punked-up classics for a true experience, including Drumstick Caiprisma (featuring vanilla infused rum, raspberry rum, fresh lime juice, served with retro drumstick), Smoked Popcorn Daiquiri (with charred sweetcorn infused rum, sweetcorn syrup, fresh lime juice and vanilla smoke) and By Monks for Punks (with spiced run, pineapple juice, fresh lime juice, almond syrup, buckfast, served with salted popcorn and more!).

PIZZA COOL

The new 120-cover restaurant will have neon lights, cool artwork, monochrome brick tiles and a stripped back aesthetic; it’s the ultimate cool pizza experience.

Pizza Punks founder, Brad Stevens says: “Pizza Punks Leicester will be our fifth site in the UK, and we can’t wait to share the Pizza Punks experience with the city.

“At Pizza Punks we do things differently, our customers have the freedom to make the experience their own – they can punk up their pizza or pasta with unlimited toppings for no extra charge.

“We want families and friends to visit and have the best time. For us, it is about providing excellent quality ingredients, unrivalled levels of customer service and most importantly, having fun; we want our guests to enjoy some great food, drinks and music with us.”

Pizza Punks was awarded the UK’s Best Italian Takeaway eatery last year in the Deliveroo restaurant awards, voted for by the Deliveroo customers, and its city centre restaurants are all ranked number one on Trip Advisor, in Glasgow, Belfast and Newcastle, they report.