Franco Manca, Brighton

I would like to take a moment first to appreciate the new developments made to Brighton Marina! I remember the days when it was somewhere you only went for bowling and now it is a hub of new restaurants and eateries with a variety of entertainment; from Bowling to dancing, glow in the dark golf to casinos!

Brighton Girl and I were invited along last weekend to try one of the newest additions to the Brighton Marina. Franco Manca. I had tried the pizza before in the central Brighton branch and have always been a big fan, so was excited to eat there with the addition of the beautiful marina view. 

The Restaurant and Menu

Sat in the perfect location, of first on the strip of restaurants, the iconic sign and design of the restaurant stands out right away. With to-the-point signs and the notorious specials blackboard, combined with mosaic pizza oven blaring and exposed piping I personally love the style. We were lucky enough to go on a blazing hot day last weekend and so we sat outside, but I loved the touch of blankets over every chair in case of those cool southern breezes. 

The menu is simple and to the point. 6 pizzas, two salads and a small selection of wine. I particularly love the 'no logo' beer and cider that they serve.The specials board also had two options; a meat and a vegetarian and a selection of toppings that you could add to your pizza. 

The Food

Fanny opted for number 3; Courgette, basil, mozzarella, buffalo ricotta with franco and cantarelli grana. This is one of their 'white' pizza served with no tomato; which the waitress was sure to check was okay (something I presume can cause problems if customers don't read it properly). The pizza came out looking fit for a summers day; with plenty of charred courgettes and a generous serving of cheeses to match the lack of tomato. Slightly sparce with the crispy basil but well balanced. 

I went for a simple but classic number two; tomato, mozzarella and basil but decided to go for their extra option of a selection of wild mushrooms. Again mine came with just three basil leaves which had lost some of their flavour in the cooking, I would have loved to have a bit more to match the selection of creamy cheese and sweet tomato topping. 

The pizza at Franco Manca are cooked perfectly for me; good leoparding and a crispy crust with a soft inside to soak up all the flavours. I have been told that this isn't everyones cup of tea (some people love a deep pan) but the cooking was spot on and the size generous for me!

The Service

The team at Franco Manca actually didn't know that we had been invited along but you would have no idea; they were attentive and welcoming from the outset of our meal. Offering us water on arrival and offering information on the menu; they made sure to check on us regularly and at the end of the meal we didn't feel rushed (which can be, all too common, in popular Brighton restaurants). The addition of extras weren't questioned at all and the service was fast and efficient. 

I also really love the extra simple touches on the table. Each table has a metal tin filled with cutler and napkins and a menu already presented; making it perfect for a quick stop for lunch. You are also provided with two types of delicious oil; chilli and garlic. I don't offer add extra oil to things but I cannot recommend highly enough a pool of these on your plates to dip you pizza into; with the fresh chilli or garlic sitting in the high quality oil it adds an extra, personalised, element to your meal.

The Allergies

We weren't actually asked at any point on any information on allergies; I noticed all pizzas were cooked in the same, beautiful, wood burning oven and there was no offer of gluten-free bases to be seen. I do think there is a good range of pizzas for both meat eaters and vegeterians and the staff were very happy to make changes to topping.

I also loved the additional information about where the ingredients had come from, that I found on the website, I always love that extra personalised touch and that is what Franco Manca is full of. 

Written by me and photos by the very talented Fanny Beckman
Whats your order when you head down? Let me know in the comments below or tag me on Instagram @brightonbbblog

I was invited to Franco Manca in exchange for a review, but all views are my own or Fanny's