Pizza Punks Nottingham: I came for the pizza but stayed for the cool décor

As the old saying goes “There’s no such thing as bad pizza” because even when it’s not great, it’s still pretty good.

I mean what can go wrong with the main components of dough, cheese, and tomato? Not a lot to be honest.

Over the weekend, following a busy morning at Nottingham’s Puppet Festival, I decided to tick a restaurant off my to-visit list: Pizza Punks.

I’ve heard rave reviews about this place so I had high hopes. And while maybe, it wasn’t the most earth-shattering pizza I’ve ever eaten, it was hot, fast and fun (three very positive things).

I was the first person through the door at Pizza Punks on Saturday and I was staggered by how large it is.

It’s got the vibe of a ‘cool party place’, you know the kind of joint where James Dean would hang out in his Rebel Without A Cause days.

It’s got neon lights, body positivity mantras covering the walls and comfy seating that makes it hard to leave.

The menu offers a wide range of pizza and intriguing sides such as buffalo chicken wings with blue cheese and celery (another nod to the USA).

The drinks are also eye-catching with craft cocktails such as Sherbet Cherry and Strawberry Smash tempting you to plump for a boozy lunch.

What would the pizza be like? I decided to keep it simple with a classic Margherita. 

The first thing that struck me was the speed at which it arrived - just six minutes after ordering! Talk about a speedy service.

It boasted tangy tomato sauce on a pillowy, puffy base that was laden with mozzarella, fresh basil, and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.

The flavour of the cheese melded well with the tomato, but the base left me conflicted.

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It looked good up top and had a beautiful whisper of a tang when I bit into it. (That will be the magic of the sourdough, providing a depth of flavour.)

However… the base had a lot of burnt detritus that tasted bitter and marred the enjoyment of the pizza.

If the pizza didn’t have burnt chunks, it would easily have been one of the best-tasting pizzas in Nottingham but unfortunately, it fell short this time. 

The good news is that this oversight can easily be rectified with a few tiny tweaks, such as checking the base before serving.

I was surprised by the overload of charcoal as I was the first customer in the restaurant. Maybe it’s the same as with pancakes, the first one is always a test?

The Pizza Punks website says it has ‘taken all the best bits from Neapolitan pizza by using finest Italian ingredients before introducing them to our sourdough starter sourced from San Francisco’s famous Boudin Bakery renowned for making the best sourdough on the planet.’

They’re not wrong, the sourdough tang was delectable, it’s a shame the bitter burnt flavour overpowered the otherwise great-tasting pizza. 

What we ate at Pizza Punks Nottingham

Pepsi £3.70

Margherita £9.95

Service charge £1.37

Total £15.02

Address: Pizza Punks, 1 Fletcher Gate, Nottingham NG1 4FS

For more information visit the restaurant’s website by clicking here.

*Diner paid for the meal