Reggie's Pizzeria

What should we know about Reggie’s Pizzeria?

We’ve been a long time waiting to see what Reggie White would do next. The Ballymaloe-schooled and LA-seasoned Dubliner’s fingerprints are all over the city’s pizza scene – very literally in some cases. Since kicking off a new era with the opening of Pi all the way back in 2018 (he’s no longer involved), he's put in a stint at the oven of Little Forest, and run a consultancy that advised Bambino among others. Now, he’s installed himself in the Rathmines space where Sprezzatura held sway until late last year, striving to carve out a family-friendly neighbourhood niche that people can swing by time and again.

Where should we sit?

Chalk the refitted high-ceilinged space in this beautiful building down as one of the city’s most welcoming rooms. On walking through the corner door of the dual-frontage façade you’ll have your eye guided past the spacious layout of tables straight to the three-tier electric pizza oven at the back. We’re big fans of this setup, courtesy of the same team who brought us the interiors of A Fianco and Note among others, and have again achieved a just-right balance of buzzy and roomy, with a still-too-rare focus on acoustics - for all the fast service to come, this feels like a place to linger.

We’d expected our V-Day weekend visit to be thronged with doe-eyed duos but, true to intent, the place was packed with a plethora of groups, from younger families (it’s a while since we saw so many buggies comfortably accommodated) to Galentine gatherings – it makes for a great mixed energy. Two-tops along the window-lit right wall make for a great perch to take it all in, while the two booths at the back are more fit for intimate evenings for four.

Out on the floor, a host of three to five-seaters will put you in the heart of the action. A big group can expect to get the grand eight-seater inside to the left – it’s easy to imagine a multi-generational family outing having a helluva time here. But the seats we’re determined to snag on our next visit are at the counter, with an eagle-eyed view of the oven and the hands that feed it. The entirety of the adjoining space that was briefly Flaneur, and before that Spatched, has been knocked through and given over to the pizza process, with piled-high bags of flour in the window another great example of how to sell the story of a food business to passers-by, and lure in more of a crowd.

What’s on the menu?

A lot more than pizza. We’ll get to the main event, but the most important thing to take away here – apart from extra pizza in a box – is that the starters have been given every bit as much thought as the dough and toppings. Olives (€4.95) are the earliest evidence of a provenance-first philosophy at play - these are the good ‘uns, a briny blast of an amuse bouche with the gentlest citrus kick.

We’re predicting Instagram action aplenty for the gold-crusted goodness of the mozzarella sticks (€7.50) and arancini (€8.50) – unlike too many other outlets where these oft-filler foods show up, it isn’t all show. There’s a spectacular see-how-far-it-stretches stringiness to the mozzarella, just itching to burst out from its crisp coating. The sharpness of a light parmesan dusting takes the edge off a rich mouthful, though the spicy marinara’s aim to do the same would work better with just a little more heat.

Parmesan custard is a combination of words we’re always happy to hear, all the more so when it’s as lush and velvety as here. As a base for these oozing cacio e pepe-filled risotto balls it’s almost daringly OTT, the kind of out-the-gate indulgence that might see you off before you’ve even started. As a sharing plate though it’s perfect pacing, the deceptively airy texture an umami-rich accent to the faultlessly seasoned arancini. Go all in.

White has lamented the lack of a free-range chicken wing supplier at scale, and if there’s a starter we’d skip it’s probably these (€11.50), much as the sizeable portions may tempt. The house honey and nduja is a sticky, spicy-sweet sauce of the finger-licking variety (classic is also available), but we didn’t find enough flavour of the brined meat to make it worth the stomach space another pizza might have taken up instead – practical to the core we are.

Outside of the inimitable polpette alla nduja at Grano and A Fianco that keep us coming back time and again, we don’t ever expect to get excited about meatballs, but between Hera and here, they may be having a mini-moment in Dublin. Good cheese is the common thread - Reggie’s in-house ricotta keeps the pork and beef balls (€9.50) gloriously juicy throughout, ideal for soft spreading across the sourdough focaccia and lapping up every last trace of lightly-spiced tomato.

Alright, let’s have it - what about the pizza? Tastes are too subjective across the Neapolitan, New York, Detroit and Roman styles (now blissfully available across Dublin) for us to definitively declare any the best, but we can comfortably say Reggie’s sits at the top table. Few pizza chefs in the city have spent as much time and effort on their recipes as White, and a 48-hour proofed sourdough base made with a mix of Wildfarmed flours from the UK is the result. If your lockdown-era experiments with home pizza have you wondering why anyone would ever pay for one out, here’s where to come for some clarity. This is divine dough, complex and full-flavoured, with structure and strength that holds up through every last, leopard-spotted bite.

We’ve so far made our way through five of the nine options (we''ll be back to finish the lot off), and we’ve yet to encounter a bum note. The classics are always the best place to start, a real test of true skill, and Reggie’s has got it in spades. The margherita (€14.95) drips EVOO and gloriously gooey fior di latte, complementing the sharpness and sweetness of top-tier tomato. That’s to the fore too in the pepperoni (€16.50), balancing out the heat of Ventrecina salami and pickled chillies, both of which are textbook specimens.

Sausage, stracciatella, and chilli (€17.00) isn’t a mile wide of the pepperoni’s palate, but a good example of how a little variation goes a long way. The succulence of the Andarl Farm pork gives a softer, sweeter bite than the crisped-edged salami, and so stands up stronger to the added intensity of Calabrian chilli – those who like their heat should go straight for this. We’d have welcomed a little more kick in the leek and Cashel blue (€16.00) - the whey-braised greens have a superb, honey-supplemented sweetness that could have used a little added sprinkle of those chilli flakes - the hot honey dip works well here.

Hen of the woods and chicken fat (€18.50) is the most eye-catching among the pizza options – it's no shock given the premium for good fungi that it’s the most expensive too. The fat-brushed crust makes for an inspired elevation of umami shrooms, though we wondered if another cheese might have worked better - for all its nuttiness, Fontina felt a little lost alongside these other ingredients. Confit garlic rides to the rescue with an assertive punch you’ll keep tasting all night.

Desserts, like starters, give a clear sense that nothing is here for the sake of it. The old-fashioned ice cream sundae (€7.00) is a creamy, crunchy glass of delight, with pecan and chocolate crumb playing off melt-in-the-mouth scoops from Boulabán Farm. White’s set his sights on making his own in time, but if it stays just like this you won't hear complaints. Milk chocolate custard (€8.00) – we make it more of a mousse – is better again, with a heavier heaping of that chocolate crumb joining forces with flaky sea salt for a textural treat atop super-soft chocolate. A good stir is recommended for those not used to olive oil with their dessert, but an unexpectedly loaded spoonful did tell us they’re using the best stuff.

What are the drinks like?

The wine menu has good variety and better prices, with six of eight BTG coming in on or under the €9 mark, on an organic and biodynamic-heavy list – keenly competitive with Kodiak across the way and The Dunmore down the road. Entry-level bottles rank among the mid-€30s with blowout options in the main around the €60 mark. The light-bodied acidity of the Anselmo Mendes Alvarinho came in handy for all the starters’ and pizzas’ cheese, while Sainte Croixe rosé stood up well to the meatballs.

How was the service?

Couldn’t have been better. Tables were turning over quick with the weekend that was in it, and despite a hard finish on our booking time we never felt rushed. Staff have clearly all eaten their way through the menu and are happy to tweak their tips to your tastes. For all the speed they sling pizzas out with, the entire vibe feels very relaxed.

And the damage?

Budget €40 a head for a very filling dinner and drink, or stick to just a pizza each and shared sundae with change from a twenty. Whatever the mood, Reggie’s represents about as good value for pizza as it gets in this city given the calibre of the ingredients and the care in their cooking.

What’s the verdict on Reggie’s Pizzeria?

Even in just the two months since our ATF Insiders got the first bites at Reggie’s December soft launch (great perk right – sign up here) we can see a clear upward trajectory for White and co, and that’s from no low base. This is casual, come-time-and-again dining at its best. Simple food, superb flavour, served free of fuss. As it keeps finding its feet and flavours, we expect this neighbourhood joint to have no trouble bedding in as the community hub it’s aiming to be, somewhere to make all ages, wallets and tastes very happy that they left the house for pizza.