Visit Ecco Pizzeria in Headingley, Leeds, and you will find authentic Neapolitan pizza, made according to the rules set out by the Vera Pizza Neapolitan Association.
This means using the finest seasonal ingredients, imported from Italy. Cooked in a wood fired oven (hand crafted in the hills of Tuscany), using centuries old techniques, at over 800 degrees!
I'm sure I once read that a Neapolitan pizza should be cooked in less than 30 seconds.
I don't often venture out of Leeds city centre to the suburbs for dinner, but I've been spending a lot more time in Headingley recently, and jumped at the chance to review Ecco. I had enjoyed a takeaway from them before, but never visited the restaurant or taken the time to understand what they are all about.
Anyway, I visited Ecco last week and thoroughly enjoyed it! Their pizza comes by the half metre, and you can change the topping every quarter of a metre.
As I was dining with a vegetarian and was conscious of contaminating her pizza, we decided to opt for individual 12 inch pizzas instead. It didn't look as impressive as half a metre of pizza arriving at your table, but the taste didn't disappoint.
I had the Istanbul pizza which was a tahini base, spiced minced lamb, feta, salad and pomegranate seeds. I absolutely loved it. Crispy base, lots of flavour, very filling, salad on top made it feel healthy.
A few minutes after I ordered, the waiter came back to the table to ask if I had eaten this pizza before. When I said no he told me that the kitchen had said to consider ordering something else if I hadn't had this before as the flavours were very strong. This was very strange!
I assured him that I like strong flavours and regard myself as an adventurous eater so would be fine. The pizza was lovely and not too strong in flavour at all, I would say it was just perfect actually!
The highlight though, was the king prawn starter, which we ordered as a side to come out alongside the pizzas.
It consisted of the most succulent king prawns, roasted in their wood-fired oven with fresh chilli, lemon and garlic. Served with cherry tomatoes and bruschetta, ideal for mopping up the delicious sauce.
I will be dropping in to Ecco to have this as a snack every time I’m in Headingley from now on. Please order this if you visit!
Of course, we had gelato afterwards. We were very full and almost didn't order it, but I'm so glad we did. It had the perfect balance between indulgent and light, and somehow I felt less bloated after eating this than I did before!
The gelato is made fresh on site and you could tell a lot of love was put into it! I had tiramisu flavour and think I made an excellent choice.
A final thing that I love about Ecco Pizzeria is their consideration of the environment and the community.
They use organic produce, they make a conscious effort to reduce the amount of electricity they use (for example using LED lighting, and not cooking with gas or electric) and they ensure that their organic waste is composted rather than sent to landfill.
Every third Thursday of the month they hold a free kids class, educating children on the importance of healthy eating and the environment.
I absolutely encourage you to visit Ecco next time you're craving a pizza or passing by!
Enjoyed this review?
For more pizza recommendations, have a read of my blog post about where to find the best pizzas in Leeds.
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