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Bistro Bianconi, Ranelagh

bistro bianconiI’d heard great things about Bistro Bianconi, but always put off ordering. Hmmm, it does look and sound lovely, but I’m always loath to pay for takeaway pizza. Dominos, with their horrible stodgy dough and sinister, shiny toppings, charges around 16 for a 12 inch pizza. Four Star, which jostles with Domino’s for the title of world’s shoddiest pizza, charges between €17-19 for 12 inches.

No such rip off at Bistro Bianconi. This restaurant/ takeaway has consistently won Ireland’s best pizza at the Pizza World Championships, and I finally see why. Last weekend, we were having a few beers at home before heading into town when hunger struck. We argued over Chinese, Indian, and the chipper, but pizza won out.

pizza-toppingsWe ordered from the Ranelagh branch and it arrived in half an hour, 15 minutes before the ETA. I went for the Gourmet veggie sans mushrooms, and it really was the best pizza I remember eating in Ireland. The base was thin and crispy and the toppings were fresh and high quality: chargrilled artichoke, spinach, sliced Spanish onions, slow roasted tomatoes, sweet roasted peppers, and whole roasted garlic cloves for €15.30. Eyes bigger than my belly, I only got through half of it, so one pizza would easily feed two. Of course some people – usually but not always greedy boys – can get through a whole pizza and more in minutes.

Bistro Bianconi has branches in Sligo, Galway, and Dublin.

6 Comments

  1. Generally, the cost of pizza is VERY HIGH in Ireland.
    There is no country in Western Europe with prices of €15/18 for a medium pizza.

    I mean, the cost of ingredients is about €2 (maximum). I understand the transport, I understand the profit margin, I understand the production costs (salaries/ESB/water/etc), but hey, around €8/10 for a medium pizza it should be the NORMAL price.

    The best value I found in Roma takeaway pizza, a small shop in Deansrath/Clondalkin. I paid €8 for a medium (12) pizza, and an excellent one, I must say.

    I ate exceptionally authentic italian pizzas in Sicily for €6/8.

    I came in Ireland in 2008, a lot of prices has decresed since then, but pizza price no, and I wonder why? Because it’s a huge demand of it?

    We should start a takeaway pizza strike 🙂 , until the prices will come down.

  2. We ordered the most disappointing pizza ever from Bistro Bianconi last year. My oh ordered a pesto style veggie pizza that was supposed to have caramelised onions on it. So we ordered, and it was nearly an hour before we got the grub (we were in harold’s cross at the time), and it was stone cold on arrival, no apologies of any sort.
    So we reheated the pizza in our oven, and were horrified at the state of the “onions” in the topping. They were like onions boiled briefly in a pot of water and granulated sugar. Not the overcooked melted onions we were hoping for. Utterly heartbreaking when you’re looking forward to food that sounds as good as they write on the menu.

  3. Very good, very new pizza at Credo not far from Mr Cheapeat’s neighbourhood, on Montague St near Camden St.

    Credo.ie

    I ate very well with a pizza from there on Sunday. Not super cheap but very tasty. They were offering a free chocolate pizza with the ‘real’ one …

  4. Chocolate pizza! Whatever next, fruit in tins?

  5. They do excellent pizza, but it is better to pick it up yourself. I found the delivery service somewhat lacking as well. Maybe if you live very close by it would be ok, but if you live close it’s as easy to pick it up anyway.

    Well worth a trip to the restaurant in Sligo if you’re there too.

  6. Just had my first taste of Credo pizza and I am extremely impressed! A massive slice of pizza and a can of coke for 4 euro, it’s about time pizza prices in Ireland came down!