Rather fittingly for a trip up north, the day we went to Edinburgh was the precise day I realised autumn had properly begun. By 7pm on an October evening, the city was dark and windy, with a real nip in the air as we ventured out for dinner.
Walking into Novapizza Vegan Kitchen felt like the perfect antidote to the chill outside. Intimate and cosy, but without feeling cramped, we arrived to a gentle buzz of conversation, music very much as a background and a mouthwatering banquet of smells.
But this is about the food, and let me start by saying that the menu here is superb. The emphasis felt firmly on the Italian flavours, with the fact that it was plant-based simply taken as a given. Reading the menu was enough to make the heart sing.
Knowing at a glance that I would need to leave room for dessert, I went for a taster of a starter. The mini Sicilian cannolo, filled with stracciatella cheese, pistachio butter and crumb, was an explosion of taste and texture. The crunchy fried pastry, the rich softness and creaminess of the cheese… and then those pistachios and the dark deeply umami crumb. Just delightful.
Established in 2015, Novapizza was one of Edinburgh’s early pioneers of plant-based Italian dining. Originally serving both vegetarian and vegan dishes, it became fully vegan in 2020 under Maddalena Pezone, drawing on traditional Roman cooking.
The menu goes well beyond pizza, with Italian classics such as carbonara, tiramisu and cannoli all given a plant-based twist. The restaurant has also earned recognition for its cooking, winning Vegan Restaurant of the Year at The Food Awards Scotland in 2021.
That said, what vegan can resist a well-made pizza? I certainly wasn’t about to break the mould. Not normally a fan of olives, I was nevertheless tempted by the Sottobosco: a mozzarella base, black truffle cheese, mushrooms, purple potatoes, olives, rosemary and olive dust. Honestly, you couldn’t have asked for more. A crispy yet chewy base, the woodland flavours of the fungi, and those potatoes… perfect.
Pasta choices were equally enticing, and my companion chose what I would’ve picked, so I got to see it at close hand. Strozzapreti Autumnali – handmade twisted fresh pasta, serve served with sautéed Girolle mushrooms, and artichokes.
Desserts included the fairly traditional tiramisu, torta nera and affogato al caffè, but I was sold on the description of sbriciolata. Puff pastry layered with cream and black cherries or chocolate. Hell yes. As you can see, I went for the cherries, and, oh what a treat, with an irresistible combination of crunchy, flaky pastry, soft cream and sour cherries.
Service deserves a mention. Our waitress, who was also the restaurant owner, was knowledgeable, interested and professional. The chefs managed to produce the food in a timely manner without us feeling in the slightest bit rushed.
All in all, a truly lovely experience, and the culinary highlight of my Scottish weekend.
How delightful! 😀 I wish I was there. 😉
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