Croma has been my favourite pizza restaurant for a long time, with the various Pizza Expresses around the place coming in not far behind, so I was eager to try out Dough when I saw it had opened.
The restaurant is nestled in the heart of the Northern Quarter, opposite Bluu. It is joined to the new bar Apotheca next door, another one of my favourites.
My partner and I dined out on a weekday evening and were surprised at how busy it was. Service was attentive and friendly and our orders arrived without too much delay.
We ordered the Dough Flat Mushroom and the Cured Meat Sautéed in Red Wine (both £3.95) to share between us to start. Both dishes were delicious, although the cured meat was very, very oily, which isn’t so much a criticism but a warning!
For our mains, we ordered the Moroccan pizza (£6.95) and the Asian Chicken pizza (£7.25). Both pizzas were a good size and tasted great – a pleasant surprise given the unconventional toppings; I’m more of a fruits de mer kind of guy, so to go for lamb and chicken was a departure for me.
As well as their range of regular pizzas, Dough also offers pizzas for people with special dietary requirements, offering gluten-free, wholewheat and dairy-free pizza bases. This is a great thing to remember as dining out with people with these requirements can be tough. The menu also features pasta, salads and a good selection of dessert. Prices across the menu rarely breach the £7 barrier, so two can easily dine out for about thirty quid, including wine.
The children’s menu is cute and will keep younger diners amused while they draw their dinner to give to the chef. Prices here range between £3.25 and £3.95, kids’ salads and desserts are available too.
As you’d expect Dough has a wine list featuring a good selection of wines over a broad price range. We had the Trulli Pinot Grigio (£14.50/£5.20/£3.65) which was very tasty. The restaurant offers one draught beer, Poretti (£1.95 for a pint) and three bottled beers (Peroni, £2.95; Modelo Especial and Modelo Negro, each £3.50), which is quite a narrow choice but are a bit different from usual, as well as a range of spirits and mixers.
Dough is a modern, comfortable restaurant, which I would highly recommend.
Check out my review of Dough Pizza Kitchen – I am david_1982 – on Qype
