Edit – Davide’s Pizzeria has now shifted to Siolim.
As word spreads, Davide’s Pizza is poised to raise the bar for Italian Food in Goa. Set along the Candolim-Sinquerim Road, very close to Fort Aguada, this charming eatery is slowly but surely making waves.
From the road, you’ll see the board indicating its name along with a logo-caricature depicting the owners, Davide and Al – the A-team behind the restaurant. Looking alluring with light bulbs hanging from trees alongside little blackboards with Italian words written on them, this unassuming little garden restaurant is spread around 3 sides of a small local grocery store.
Ambience wise, it is characteristically done – and the indoor section is warm and inviting with a long wooden bar and a couple of tables with stools. The best part, though, is the intimate garden area, which is a wonderful place to tuck in to pizzas during lunch time, if the weather isn’t too hot, or during a breezy evening. What’s more, they have a choice of outdoor seating – regular chairs, bar stools or on a swing-table. Plus, it’s one of the very few pet-friendly restaurants in Goa!
This pizza joint in Candolim believes in the make-it-from-scratch philosophy and apart from fresh veggies that are brought in from the local market, over a whopping 90% of their ingredients are imported from Italy. The results are top-shelf, though, and the food speaks for itself! Davide’s Pizzeria doesn’t compromise on quality and at the same time, keeps prices affordable and competitive as compared to other Italian restaurants in Goa.
The recipes have been handed down through the generations, too and like all authentic Italian food, it is confidently simple. You’ll find Davide and Al’s choicest selection of well-priced, seasonal dishes including thin crust pizzas, le polpette (meatballs), side dishes such as focaccina, crostino and bruchetta, and lastly, desserts.
Davide’s Pizzeria seems like it would soon become one of those restaurants that will be many things to many people – a-go to for a business lunch, a relaxed spot for neighbourhood locals to come together, those looking for an early meal, a cute date-night spot in Goa or just about anyone who wants a really good plate of pasta.
I, for one, fall in the last category of people! I started off my meal with a Carbonara – and it was so delicious, I sort of felt sorry that I had to share. Al dente spaghetti with judiciously sprinkled pancetta, it makes you appreciate the simplicity and goodness of the ingredients without having the flavours masked with oodles of sauce
Rarely do I order from the vegetarian section of restaurant menus, but I made an exception – seeing that the house special (named after Davide himself) was a veg option. The perfect thin-crust pizza had tomatoes, mozzarella, goat cheese, pesto and… an ingredient that took the pizza to next-level awesome – Roasted Garlic! Blackened garlic pods, cooked for 6 hours, had such a deep, layered taste that it’s umami-like flavour lingered on. Slightly chewy enough to stick to your teeth like dark caramel, it added a touch of sweetness and a little bit of crunch, leading you in to yet another cheese-filled bite. Absolutely addictive and highly recommended!
Next, I moved on to the Prociutto e Rucola – again, bendy, thin slices, toasted just enough in the oven for a satisfying crunch. Tomato, mozzarella, Parma Ham, arugula and parmesan shavings were the toppings on this one – fresh, light and simple. It was the saltiness of the aged-parmessan, almost translucent, that delighted me the most – I almost picked them off the pizza and ate them plain.
So protective are the owners of their family’s treasured recipes, that select ones are made at night, once the restaurant staff finish off with their daily work shifts. Case in point – their Mamma Gianna’s Tiramisu– Davide’s mother’s recipe that’s lighter than air, with a deliciously subtle coffee kick, minus the cream and excessive sweetness! Yes, you heard that right, tiramisu without cream!
Everything I tried was well executed, and you know you’ve had a wonderful meal when you plan your next visit before you’ve even left the restaurant. What makes this restaurant so likable is the fact that its casual, yet the food is excellent. The restaurant is still brand new, and it may be a short while more before they get their alcohol license. But there’s some really good stuff on the plate. The way I see it, it’s only going to get bigger, better and busier.
Thanks for reading, guys! I’d definitely recommend this little Pizza Joint in Goa to anyone who asks, and I’m confident that you’ll have a great time.
You can also check out some of my earlier blog posts on Food Trucks in Goa and Bakeries To Try in Panjim
