Purezza; Plant based italian food in Brighton

I think pizza is my all time favourite food. It's one of my go to comfort foods for a rainy day but I also love a fresh slice in the sun. So when I decided to be more aware of my meat and dairy intake, I panicked. However, living in Brighton, there are always options for the allergy conscious, and I jumped at the invite to head to Kemptown to try Purezza; a plant based Italian food restaurant.

The Menu and Atmosphere

When we first sat down in the restaurant I was immediately in love; the wood and pizza decorations were simple yet stunning and the back wall of plant themed decorations made the restaurant professional yet cosy. There was a wide range of people in the restaurant and with low music and chatter it was perfect. 

The menu itself was set out clearly with fun names and clear outlines of ingredients; minus a small confusion about 'sausage' being on one of the pizzas! I especially loved all of the extras to the menu including deals of local employees, students and children. 

The Drinks

With a separate drinks menu there was a large selection of drinks for all. Henry opted for a Brew Dog and I went for the elderflower cider; something I have never tried before but will definitely be trying again! I would say that the drinks were all higher end but that is something I enjoy. We were also provided with a bottle of tap water to share.

The Food

Although there were lots of delicious options on the menu other than pizza, including pasta and burgers, Henry and I both opted for pizzas for our main. There was the option of three bases including sourdough, hemp flour and gluten free. Each pizza (unless stated) was topped with their homemade 'mozzarella' which was made from ground rice, olive oil and chickpeas.

Our pizzas were served with pizza cutters and wooden boards which made them easy to slice and enjoy. 

I went for the season 4 pizza 1; based loosely on the four seasons pizza it came with chestnut mushroom, artichoke, olives and smoked beetroot. The pizza base was perfect for me, with a thin base and a fluffy crust and crispy edges. The flavours complemented each other well and mixed with the sweet tomato base I loved it. I will say I missed the 'string' cheese element but the 'mozzarella' added the salty taste. 

Henry had the vulcano pizza which came with Roasted aubergine, green chilli peppers, sweetcorn, romano peppers & red onions, topped with siracha sauce. There were also mushrooms, which weren't stated on the menu and weren't ideal as he doesn't eat them. The pizza was loaded with toppings with the mini sweetcorn being a lovely extra. The pizza was covered in green chillies but was not too hot and all of the vegetables were cooked perfectly.

The Allergies 

I was really impressed with the menu and their attention to detail with allergies; clearly stating different options and allergy advice for each part of the menu. The addition of the mushrooms on the pizza was not ideal however, luckily Henry is not allergic. 

Overall, I was really impressed and although I still love pizza this is an amazing alternative and I will definitely be going back to try some of the other dishes on the menu. I would love to try some other allergy conscious/vegetarian restaurants, let me know your recommendations in the comments below.