There are an awful lot of pizza restaurants in the world, and differentiating between common offerings can be tricky. But Forbici, with existing premises in Manchester in the north of England and now a second venue in Sheffield, reports that top chef Marco Pierre White described their food as “the very best pizza I’ve had in my life”. That is an enticing promise – but did Forbici live up to the hype?
The opening night in the new Sheffield city centre venue last week was lively, with efficient staff overseeing a buzzing evening and providing pizza and drinks and live music by local musician Mat Hook.
The menu, too, was deliciously localised – the inclusion of Sheffield institution Henderson’s Relish and regional parkin cake showing attention to detail. This will doubtless appeal to a clientele that needs to know that Forbici has something to offer that its competitors – including one right across Millennium Square where it is situated – do not.
The Yorghetta pizza was piled high with remarkably generous portions of porchetta, while the vegan Margherita was far simpler, but delicious (though, as with many vegan cheeses, lacked the true meltiness of its dairy equivalent).
For me, though, the truffle pizza was the stand-out slice of the night, its distinctive, intense flavour being the one I could have eaten again and again. Drinks flowed, the music kept the mood high.
Service was incredibly efficient, especially given that it was Forbici’s opening night. The chefs in particular seemed to be having great fun under what must have been intense pressure – not to mention the heat of the fiery oven a few feet behind them.
On any opening night, it’s not unreasonable to expect some teething problems, but if there were difficulties behind the scenes, they were not visible to us as guests.
The friend who accompanied me to the event is vegetarian, and when the first two rounds of food contained meat I did become nervous that she would leave unfed at the end of the night. However, staff proactively sought her out once vegetarian food was ready, which we appreciated.
We could definitely have done with napkins scattered around the place when our fingers were dripping with pizza-style deliciousness, but as difficulties to iron out for future events go, that is a fairly minor one for Forbici to solve.
The word “forbici” means “scissors” in Italian, a reflection of the restaurant’s pizzas being cut the Napoli way – “four ways, with scissors”. This was fun to watch, but is perhaps a slightly odd marketing angle to lean on. A focus instead on flavour and great service may be a more effective way to reach the city’s dream customers.
Promotional materials for the restaurant also boasted of towering crusts, and I felt a little apprehensive: we’ve all had dry, dry pizza crusts to work our way through, and they’re not pleasant. But the Biga dough at Forbici was far from arid and, for once, I demolished the crusts rather than leaving them til there was nothing else left on the plate.
So if you are looking for a pizza restaurant in the north that does not skimp on incredibly tasty toppings, Forbici in Sheffield or Manchester offers a different experience.
The following day, when Forbici officially opened to the public, the restaurant offered free pizzas at lunchtime. Passing by, I could see this was an incredibly popular offer.
Few people would turn down free pizza of any quality, let’s face it, but the people in the lengthy queue were – unknowingly – absolutely destined for a treat. Forbici will have gained committed fans from that gesture alone.
Disabled access at Forbici in Sheffield went smoothly, with level access from Millennium Square and an accessible loo downstairs. Though there are inaccessible tables upstairs, the restaurant does also have covers on the ground floor.
Images: Philippa Willitts