I always think of Zizzi's as a Pizza restaurant, and while it does have a range of salads, meat dishes and pasta options on offer, it's the pizzas which seem to pull in the punters. In my opinion the pizzas are definitely amongst the best in Oxford, with a good range of toppings available and excellent thin and crispy bases. I have heard mutterings that perhaps the toppings are a little sparse, but despite being an adherent to the school of thought that there's really no such thing as too much food, I've never found this to be a problem. I would be deeply embarrassed to even hint at how many Zizzi pizzas I have consumed during my time at Oxford, but I can safely say that I have enjoyed all of them. Particular favourites of mine are the Sofia (chicken, bacon, pepperoni, yum!) and the Capricciosa (prosciutto ham, egg, anchovies, olives etc). Prices range from £5.15 to £7.60, which seems pretty reasonable for a whole plateful of delicious pizza. Better still is the takeaway offer which allows you to collect any pizza from the menu for the bargain price of £5. Believe me, this offer is getting me through my finals! If you choose to eat in, the restaurant is unlikely to let you down. I've enjoyed excellent service every time I've visited, and the ambience is equally suited to a big party of twenty or a more intimate dinner for two. Wine is averagely priced at £10.95 for house red or white and is perfectly drinkable.

Honourable mentions to pizza alternatives must go to the Salmone arrosto - a delicious dish of herb-crusted salmon with crispy 'Tuscan' potatoes and spinach, and the Insalata tricolour - a salad of creamy mozzarella, avocado, tomatoes and basil. Both are very good indeed. I have one tip though - if you go for one of their garlic pizza breads as a starter, definitely share it, as it literally is an entire pizza base. I don't want to come over all 'Dr Atkins', but one of these plus a pizza would be a bit carb-rich for anyone!

Victoria Lorne, 10.05.04

February 2002

Zizzi’s is the all-new Italian restaurant to grace Oxford. Situated opposite the George Street Cinema and next to the Mongolian Wok, Zizzi’s is handy for a pre-theatre or post cinema pasta, and it was for the latter that my boyfriend and I decided to try it out.

The décor is deeply cool - natural fabrics, lots of wood, hundreds of candles and lovely large tables. The room is on three split levels, which makes the large space seem much more intimate, and we snuggled into our suede sofa-seat, piling up the scatter cushions, worrying that the menu might be priced according to the décor and therefore out of our range.
Luckily when the menus arrived we could really relax. Prices are about average for Italian food in Oxford. Slightly dearer than Ginos, but cheaper than Ask, pizza costs about £6 (Margherita costs £4.95) and pastas comes in at £6.50 ish (Bolognese costs £5.50).

We shared a huge garlic bread studded with rosemary and sea salt, freshly made from thin crispy pizza bread (£3.75), which filled us up so much that we didn’t fancy a starter, but from nosily observing our fellow diners, I can verify that the salads and foccacia with goats cheese and aubergines (both about £4) looked particularly nice. Our pastas were delicious. Students eat so much pasta that eating it in a restaurant is a bit of a coals to Newcastle scenario, but this was amazing. Lovely and garlicky and cheesy and delicious - and plentiful. I had fusili with a generous amount of roasted Mediterranean vegetables, and a homemade pesto sauce. My boyfriend chose penne Della casa after I shared my observation that since the bloke at the neighbouring table only managed to finish half of it there might be enough to fill him up (he likes a big portion does my boyfriend). This baked pasta and chicken, roasted peppers and broccoli in a gorgonzola-cream sauce with goats cheese and parmesan, was deliciously rich. After all this, pudding was sadly out of the question. Next time I might try to eat less lunch before hand, and fit in one of the tiramisus, or ice creams. The chocolate bias on the dessert menu is something that I will have to bring girlfriends out to sample with glee (I think that we would appreciate it more!). As for wine, the house red was smooth and ridiculously easy to drink, and at £11, was not bad value. In true Italian style, it would have been nice to have another bottle, wait a bit, and then reconsider puds! Next time ….
The atmosphere of Zizzi’s is luxurious and pleasant. The little tea lights give the place a welcoming soft glow, and the emphasis on texture makes the whole eating experience tactile and pleasurable. The food is miles ahead of any of the other restaurants serving the same thing, and, unless this is only beginner’s luck, I would recommend it to you for whenever you need a really good meal out. At about £15 a head, it’s good value too. Take your friends, take your date, take your parents. What a versatile and useful place to know about!

Katherine Knowles, 09.02.02