Luisa’s

Run by brother and sister team Dom and Stef, Luisa’s pizzeria in Radcliffe is named after their Nana Luisa, who loved to cook for her large Italian family and whose original recipes live on in their unique hand-stretched, wood-fired sourdough pizzas.

The open plan design lets you see in to the very heart of Luisa’s small kitchen, where the magic happens in an oven ramped up to a scorching 480°C. To create their mild, sour-tasting pizza with its light, puffy centre and a crispy yet slightly chewy crust, Dom and Stef dedicated months of development to find a special blend of organic flours that they’re very proud of and which, they say, you won’t find anywhere other than Luisa’s. The dough takes 30 hours to prove, but as little as 60 seconds to cook – 90 seconds at the most – and “Sourdough 3.0” is the basis of their artisan, classic and plant-based pizzas.

From the first list, mozzarella, white anchovies, capers, black olives, oregano and basil go onto the Napoletana; Mille Fiori, meanwhile, is a white pizza with a contrasting honey-blackened crust, topped with black truffle honey, goats cheese, mozzarella, toasted walnuts and fresh rocket. Some might argue that Hawaiian is not a classic, but certainly Margharita, Pepperoni and Americano have their place in the hall of fame. The vegan offers are all vegan enough, although, as the menu points out in its “honesty policy”, “Luisa’s also prepares and serves animal-based products which undermines the ethics of the Vegan diet”. That aside, the plant-based numbers are all solid, from Torino, flaunting autumnal flavours with its portobello mushroom, oregano, roasted pine nuts and garlic oil, to Palermo, which goes sunny side up with summery roasted aubergine, courgette, cherry tomatoes, olives, capers and oregano.

Taking advantage of having the oven on, sides include garlic bread and baked salami crisps, along with three choices of wood-fired chicken wings. Add in fresh salad leaves and olives, and it’s Italy on a plate.

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