Froth & Flame know how to dough it

The Neapolitan purists out there appear to be winning a long-standing battle, and I for one am delighted to see it.

Gone is the fashion for oozing, oily pizza stacked high with processed pepperoni – or heaven forbid, tinned pineapple – as we see the return of the much-loved classics of fresh tomato and basil, with hearty dollops of mozzarella. Arguably paving the way for this Italian wood-fired pizza revolution is Froth & Flame. With the promise of a menu that is ‘devilishly good’, my colleague Stephanie and I couldn’t resist temptation.

Based just a stone’s throw from Haymarket, and only a 25-minute walk from Murrayfield Stadium, Froth & Flame is a handy pit stop for shoppers, commuters and rugby revellers alike. They specialise in Scottish craft beers as well as pizza – which is made in a state of the art Valoriani oven by award-winning pizza chef Paulo Santos – so there is plenty to keep local foodies content.

The paper thin bases and fluffy crusts of the pizzas are truly delicious.

Starting off with a bread board to share (£5.00) was perhaps a bold move when we knew a whole pizza was to follow for each of us, but we were so glad we did. The plate was filled with focaccia bread sticks, cheesy garlic bread and rosemary focaccia, all of which was served with extra virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar. The rate at which the board was demolished was enough to make any onlooker think we’d not seen food for days, but at least that demonstrated our wholehearted appreciation for the offerings. Our favourite was the rosemary focaccia which was perfectly flavoured and lovely served warm.

For our pizzas, Stephanie chose the Napoli (£9.50) which had mozzarella, fennel sausage, nduja sausage and friarielli (similar to broccoli but a little stronger in flavour). It had a nice level of spice which wasn’t too overpowering, and the sausage was crumbly and moist. We weren’t particularly enamoured by the friarielli which had gone a little soggy in the oven, and we agreed we’d have enjoyed the pizza more without it.

I opted for the Tricolore (£8.50) with its tomato base, mozzarella, Parma ham, rocket, parmesan shavings and olive oil. The tomato might have had a little more seasoning to it, but the base itself was beautifully thin, and the fluffy crusts and flavourful Parma ham went down a treat.

The Froth & Flame pizza has proved a big hit among customers.

On the side we had a caprese salad (£4.50) consisting of baby plum San Marzano tomatoes, sliced DOP buffalo mozzarella and basil leaves with sweet balsamic oil. The simplicity of the salad was what made it sing – crisp flavours from fresh ingredients never fail to deliver.

We didn’t quite have the room to sample the craft beers on offer, but we’re keen to go back and see how our pizza would go down with a few cold ones. Walking away with our pizza leftovers, we agreed it would make a lovely place for a pre- or post-rugby match meal.

To find out more about Froth & Flame, visit their website.

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