Review: Rudy’s Pizza – a true taste of Italy in the heart of Birmingham

As a pizza lover, I have travelled far and wide in search of the perfect authentic pizza with the freshness you would expect in Italy.
So it was to my surprise that I didn’t have the need to fly to Naples, Sicily or Rome, as we have a spectacular pizzeria on our Birmingham doorstep called Rudy’s, which has recently opened on the vibrant stretch of Bennetts Hill in the city centre.
Situated four minutes walk from Grand Central Station, you walk into an open, rustic, vibrant restaurant where immediately in front of you staff are preparing the fresh dough.

We received a warm welcome as soon as we arrived and were impressed with the appetising range of affordable pizzas on offer, from the popular classic Margherita to the spicy Calabrese. There was also a variety of drinks, starters, sharers, side salads and desserts to choose from.
Our group contained a real mix of appetites, and requests for both additional or removed toppings were all catered for quickly and correctly by the accommodating chefs.
First we were treated to their selection of salads, including a refreshing orange and fennel salad, and a crispy caprese salad with a beautifully creamy buffalo mozzarella at its centre.

Very soon after came the main, mouth-watering event – seven expertly crafted, freshly made pizzas on authentically thin and cripsy Italian bases. One of our group who hails from Italy said: “It’s the closest I’ve tasted to real Italian pizza in the UK – top-notch!”
I too devoured my delicious Capricciosa, complete with its sweet artichoke hearts and succulent portobello mushrooms, a pizza variety I have struggled to find in the UK since enjoying it in southern Italy. Dare I say it, I enjoyed it even more this time around!
The secret to this Italian authenticity is that Rudy’s uses the finest flour sourced directly from Naples – the birthplace of pizza – as well as cooking in a native Neapolitan pizza oven.

It’s fair to say that given the pizzas were cheaper than what you would find in most chain pizza restaurants and from well-known takeaways, we were pleasantly surprised to discover that the standard was much higher!
The prices and prime location by some of the city centre’s newest and trendiest bars makes Rudy’s perfect for the city’s buzzing student scene, although it is sure to satisfy all ages.
In fact members of the WhatsOn team are already planning on returning with their friends and families to share the delights of our favourite new pizzeria!
Find out more at: rudyspizza.co.uk/birmingham/