Pizza and Booze: Is this the coolest new pizza parlour in Dublin?

A couple of years ago, a bright spark in LA dreamed up the 'pizza cocktail'. As in, a martini of tomato water, basil-infused vodka and porcini powder topped with a Parmesan and mozzarella foam. Did it work? I can't tell you because the restaurant in question, Trattoria Neapolis, is no longer trading.

The concept of pizza served with cocktails is a safer bet however, and one that serial restaurateur Elaine Murphy is banking on with her latest Liffeyside offering. Nestled between sister establishments The Woollen Mills and The Grand Social, and enjoying terrace-top views of the Ha'Penny Bridge, The Yarn Pizza & Cocktails is a response to what Murphy calls "a dearth (with some notable exceptions) of pizza on the north side city centre" and is "captained by Nicky Higgins, brother of Conor Higgins of Oxmantown and Cotto pizza… let the dough brother wars begin!"

Cocktails such as an Aperol, passionfruit and prosecco spritz or weekly specials such as watermelon and chilli margarita are courtesy of Nickie Connolly.

The 'Italiano'-style pizzas fall between a crisp Roma and softer thin-crust Neapolitan style - perfect for wandering about with, cocktail in hand. Toppings are inspired by executive chef Ian Connolly's pizza academy training in Lazio - think pomodoro San Marzano, braesola and nduja - but with Irish influences befitting Murphy and Connolly's track records as champions of local food.

Another of the north side exceptions is Da Mimmo of North Strand. And Dublin's south side is well served for great pizza. Paulie's in Beggars Bush keep 'em queueing for their Neapolitan bases and creative toppings, while around on Ringsend Road, Basil have a loyal fan base for their value-focussed offer.

Left, Paulie's Pizza, Right, Basil on Ringsend Road

Delivery specialists Base Pizza now have a pop-up space in The Jar on Camden Street, with bespoke specials like the Jar Tropicano with pineapple, cotto ham and wood-roasted red peppers. Honest Pizza, Osteria Lucio and Manifesto are solid go-tos, while the Steps of Rome still does a great slice, as does Campo de Fiori in Bray, where Platform gives good competition.

Honest Pizza

Further afield, The Big Blue Bus are festival favourites, when they're not parked up behind Portobello's Bernard Shaw pub, and Dave's Wood-fired Pizza never disappoints

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Pizza in The Bernard Shaw

Galway has the inimitable Dough Bros, Pizza Dozzino in Bearna and The Full Tide Inn in Kinvara, while Donegal has Real Bread Ireland members Scarpello & Co whose mobile pizza oven can be found at Rathmullan House.

Scarpello & Co in Donegal