Hey kittens, today’s blog post is a delve into the more lifestyle-ly of blog posts. Over the next few months, I am hoping to move more into lifestyle blogging as I now take on more beauty blog posts, too. I think an eclectic mix of fashion, beauty and lifestyle is always what I look for when reading my own favourite blogs, and something I am aiming to bring to y’all now, too.

To kick this off in style, I thought there was no better way than to start with my favourite food to review… Pizza! If y’all follow me on Twitter, you will know how much I love that cheesy, doughy goodness, and so when Pizza Express asked me to pop along to try one of their Manchester restaurants, I couldn’t resist.

Arriving at Pizza Express in Piccadilly Gardens, Manchester City Centre, I was pretty excited. I have been a big Pizza Express fan for many years but having never tried this particular restaurant – the idea of eating right in the middle of things didn’t really appeal in the past – I wasn’t sure what to expect. Sure enough, walking in it was super busy (and a little bit soggy on a true Manchester rainy day – I was asked to leave my brolly at the door in a special tray so at least they are used to it!), but I was perfectly looked after from the moment I sat down. Asked what we would like to drink, I opted for a white wine spritzer (very sophisticated and the closest thing I could get to Prosecco without being overly cheeky) and my mum had the Trebbiano White Wine. Yep – I’m gonna irradiate any coolness and admit I took my mum on a pizza date with me. Heck, after all the meals she’s bought me in the past, it was only fair! Plus, as a veggie myself, it would be useful to get a vegetarian vs meat eater review. Oooh, professional!

Now, I’m gonna admit that I don’t usually go for a three course meal. Most of the time when I go out, I stick to a main, or if with a larger group of people we share a couple of starters and sides between us as well as a main, but on this occasion Momma Kitten and I went for the whole hog (or the whole pizza, at least!). I started with the Burschetta Con Fungi, which I never had before but was delicious actually! When I think of Bruschetta I usually think of hard, crusty, toasted bread, but this was more of a posh garlic bread with mushrooms and sauce on top. Way nicer than I expected and would opt for this again. Momma Kitten went for the new on the menu Risotto Fresco with Salmon Fillet. She loved this and it looked as though this could have been a meal in itself; with huge chunks of salmon in it, it looked great value for money and she said it was yummy!

On to the main event… Pizza! I’m not gonna lie, I can be a creature of habit (why change a good thing?!) and I went for the same pizza I always get from Pizza Express, the Giardiniera on a classic base. I always have this without Pesto (which is what it is meant to come with) and I never have any problems at Pizza Express about being fussy with this. Personally, I am not sure why so many of the pizzas need to include nuts – coming from a family who is used to dealing with nut allergies and one very allergic sister, I don’t think Pesto or pine nuts really ‘add’ anything to a pizza and seem a bit unnecessary, so I always opt out. I even added some extra chillis to the topping and they didn’t mind in the slightest! Anyway, my pizza was delicious. It’s base was soft, with a lovely doughy crust, just the right amount of cheese and some of my favourite toppings, including artichoke, red peppers, leeks and olives, and it was a great size.

Mum’s pizza was even bigger! She went for another ‘new to the menu’ option, as she felt the need to ‘test this for my readers’. Hahaha, she was taking her reviewing job very seriously and even quizzed the waitress a little to boot. In her own words: ‘if she doesn’t, who else will?’ She chose a Pollo Forza on a Romana Pizza Base, which was absolutely gigantic. It was so big it was actually a bit ridiculous (not that she was complaining). Her plate was an extra large size and the pizza crust actually went over the edges of it. However, it was so tasty that she actually managed to eat almost all of it, with the spicy chicken topping worthy of eating it all up. 

Finally, as it we hadn’t had out fill (ahem, Mum!), we made the most of the day and tried out the dessert menu. I chose one of my all time favourite puddings, a chocolate fudge cake with gelato ice cream. As with pizza, I am almost an expert in this genre of food. Upon tasting it, I was a little surprised it wasn’t warm, but then I guess it wasn’t in the title. Although I would have preferred HOT chocolate fudge cake, it was still an absolutely gorgeous gooey chocolate dream – just what I needed after a massive dinner to top me over the edge. Mum went for the Banoffe Pie with Gelato, which she also reported with just as delicious. Not ones to be beaten, we ate almost every last crumb. So proud of our tummies, I was.

Over all, the meal was an absolute pleasure. Although I wouldn’t choose to go back to this particular Pizza Express – it was a little more hectic than most, with the majority of customers clearly being tourists and weekend shoppers, but understandable due to the positioning of the restaurant being at one of Manchester’s busiest intersections – I thoroughly enjoyed it and the staff were brilliant. We were made to feel right at home and they couldn’t do enough for us, with the food being some of the best I have ever eaten at Pizza Express (and man, have I eaten Pizza Express a lot!). If you are looking for a mid-shopping lunch break, definitely check out Pizza Express Piccadilly Gardens in Manchester – it’s right in the thick of it and perfect for a high quality, quick turnaround, and slap up lunch. Plus, with so many discount vouchers floating around the Internet, it makes for an affordable option.

Thank you Pizza Express, for indulging the pizza fanatic within me. It was a pleasure.