Romans Pizzeria

Merchant City pizzeria with a heavy Roman theme doing classic and inventive toppings.

The 2019/20 edition of The List's Eating & Drinking Guide is out now – only £5.95 (+p&p).

We’ve the ancient Romans to thank for revolutionising concrete – without which this place wouldn’t exist. The stuff is everywhere – the drinks bar, the block walls, the ceiling, even the menu has a concrete look that blends into the tabletops made from, yep, concrete. Add in industrial steel ducting and it’s getting a bit future dystopian correctional facility. What saves it are huge, all-encompassing murals of Rome in its pomp. The Colosseum, seen through mock stone walls and arches, looms impressively; elsewhere Roman-style inscriptions are writ large. What could easily have been really naff, somehow manages to work. The huge gas pizza oven fires out a tight menu of twelve (sorry, XII) options mixing familiar – pepperoni (has a nice kick), barbecue chicken, prosciutto – with quirkier numbers such as smashed beefburger with mac and cheese. Numeral X is enjoyably pungent – shredded garlic chicken, chorizo, roasted peppers, garlic olive oil. The bases, made with Caputo flour, are crisp-bottomed with a satisfying chew; toppings are generous – almost to a fault when things get a bit liquidy. There's a dozen pasta dishes, as well, and both pizzas and pastas include a couple of vegan options, although more veggie options generally wouldn't go amiss.