Restaurant Review: Very Italian Pizza (VIP)

For this month’s Restaurant Review, we visited arguably one of the best pizzerias in Sussex – and really did get the VIP treatment.

Very Italian Pizza (VIP) has a history most restaurateurs would die for. For starters, its roots are firmly based in Italy. In fact, the family-run business first started trading in Naples in the mid-1800s. Over five generations, the business has evolved – thanks to a strong commitment and real passion for truly great, authentic Italian food.

Known for its real Neapolitan pizza across the county, VIP sources its ingredients from its own farm in Naples to guarantee a consistently high quality. All the produce is carefully graded to ensure only the very best ingredients are shipped to Sussex.

VIP has two restaurants – one in Brighton and one in Saltdean. The latter opened four years ago and, due to its popularity, expanded last year.

I am a true fan of Italian food and relished the opportunity to sample what this family restaurant has to offer. I visited the VIP in Saltdean as I was meeting a client from Lewes and both wished to avoid the hustle and bustle (as well as the parking) in Brighton. My client and I were instantly put at ease by the friendly atmosphere and warm welcome.

Our waitress was Adriana, who provided excellent and attentive service throughout our visit.

VIP boasts an extensive menu which includes da dividere (sharers), aperitivo (including large Italian olives from Gaeta and deep fried green olives stuffed with mix of beef-pork-pork tripe in breadcrumbs), a great selection of Neapolitan street food, antipasti, pasta, insalate, secondi piatti and, of course, an absolutely mouth-watering array of pizzas.

On offer was a choice of more than 60 different pizzas – everything from Rio Mare (featuring mozzarella, tomato, tuna, onion and anchovies) to the Mexicano (featuring mozzarella, chicken, peppers, sweetcorn, chilli and tomato). This is a menu that caters for all tastes and has plenty to offer those looking for vegan, vegetarian or gluten-free food. Whatever your palate, you will find something to tantalise your taste buds and satisfy those hunger pangs.

For starters, my client and I chose antipasti to share. This truly delicious selection included a mix of Italian cured meat, cheese and bread. It was amazing and whetted our appetites for the main course.

I couldn’t wait to tuck into my main course, which was obviously a pizza. I chose the Pizza Tartufo, made with cheese, porcini mushrooms and truffle cream. I can honestly say, it was a taste sensation. I could sense the attention to detail and quality with every mouthful.

My client went for the Pizza Diavola, which includes spicy Italian sausage, cheese, tomato and chilli. It had a real kick to it and didn’t disappoint.

For dessert I had a cannoli, a Sicilian specialty that is not found easily in the UK. It is one of my favourites and I was delighted to see this dish on the menu. This dessert comprised real Sicilian cannoli filled with sweet ricotta and delicious chocolate.

My client couldn’t resist the scialatielli alla Nutella, fried strips of pizza dough with Nutella.

All this wonderful food was washed down with a bottle of Montepulciano d’Abruzzo which is an Italian red wine made from the Montepulciano wine grape in the Abruzzo region of east-central Italy.

We appreciated the fact that the pizzas were crafted from homemade sourdough and cooked in an authentic wood-burning oven.

This is a restaurant that follows very precise rules for the preparation and cooking of veraci – true, original Italian pizzas.

This is an excellent place to eat. With so many pizzerias in Sussex, and especially Brighton, I was thrilled to discover it. I was served the very highest quality Italian pizza – the best I have tasted outside of Italy. As someone who has a real leaning towards Italian food and has eaten in many pizzerias, I can heartily recommend VIP.

Its slogan is Made in Naples. I felt as though I was actually in Italy – thanks to the stunning food made with true Italian passion and, I suspect, love.

Website: http://pizzavip.co.uk

Email: info@pizzavip.co.uk

Brighton Telephone: 01273 677 377