origano

from arrival to departure this was a very pleasant experience. fantastic pizza discs of tasty perfection, really attentive and very friendly waiting folks and a relaxed, comfortable restaurant. i agree with joec4082 'best pizza in edinburgh'. three hours well spent. one piece of advice - laminate the paper menus you have for posterity. there's a lot of character in them that's worth keeping.

with recent visits to the superb east pizzas and pizzeria 1926 still fresh in the mind from recent blog outings, it seemed only natural to try out one of edinburgh’s most celebrated pizza establishments. origano has long enjoyed a sterling reputation when it comes to the renowned italian staple and was in fact adjudged to “sit atop the edinburgh pizza tree” by the ever-trustworthy blythe over at lunchquest.co.uk.

after a long day we arrived at the restaurant a little late. the only places available were on bar like tables, but we didn't mind. i had the pompei pizza which was nice and spicy with the perfect crust. staff was working hard, but stayed friendly and didn't forget about us though we were seated near the door in an odd corner. the ambiance was great and the prices right. the middle sized pizza was even a little bit too much for us and we are big eaters. we kinda regretted that we had not ordered the anti pasti. the table next to us ordered it and it looked amazing.

went here after lots of good recommendations and i love italian food! this pizza was honestly the best i've had in edinburgh! we had a courgette and ricotta pizza and then a pancetta and chilli. the quality of ingredients and taste of the really crispy crust from the amazing old fashioned pizza oven they use was incredible. only thing i could say is i would have loved more pasta options but you cant criticise because everything i tried was perfect! staff were friendly and attentive, already ready to go back again! 🤤

dropped in for a quick bite to eat on a sat afternoon. have been informed that this is the place to be for the best pizza in town. so prosciutto pizza was what i ordered. and i must say i wasn't disappointed. the flavour of the tomato sauce and dough made for a tasty combination. if i was going to be critical, i would have said that another two minutes in the oven would have made it the prefect pizza in town.

i had never visited origano when it was in the smaller premises but had heard that it was the place to visit in the burgh for the best pizza; so took up the opportunity now that they have relocated to a larger premises across the walk. 
my initial thoughts on entering - its smells absolutely lip-smacking delicious. if you love the smell of basil, warm bread/dough and cheese, then this is the place that will set your senses alight. 
we never booked. we thought as its a thursday at 630pm we should be fine to just walk-in. how wrong we were. this restaurant is busy.
luckily the manager was on hand to find us a table and we were given one of the built in 'breakfast bar' tables right at the entrance. these tables are narrow but we were just thankful to get a table. unfortunately the stools are very high and i really battled to climb up on it (getting off was just as bad). not sure if they were made for giants! the interior of the main restaurant is open with the pizza prep and oven area open for all to see. beautiful large vases with white lilies and plenty of candles makes for a very welcoming relaxed atmosphere. 
it took a good 15 minutes before we were even given a menu and asked if we wanted something to drink. a little bit of a disappointing start. our waitress, once appointed to our table was super friendly but unfortunately you always remember the bad before the good; the restaurant manager was quite rude and very grumpy - he really needs to brush up on his social skills. service blew hot and cold throughout our meal but the food certainly made up for it. 
we ordered the cheese garlic bread to share for a starter. mmmmm. imagine thick soft warm slices of bread smothered in blue cheese and mozzarella, grilled and then sprinkled with parmesan cheese. lush!
next it was time to order pizza. i ordered the origano 14" pizza with mozzarella, tomato, onion, mushroom, red pepper, black olives, garlic and parsley. my dining partner ordered the calabrese 14" with tomato, mozzarella, marscapone, spicy sausage, nduja, garlic and basil. 
gosh these were absolutely without a doubt, delicious. the pizza dough is thin and crispy with the occasional air pocket on the crust making it even crispier. all the toppings were generous and just enough of each element to give you a different bite each time. the 14" pizzas are big but we managed to finish them off. we left here very full and very happy. this is the best place in edinburgh for pizza (hopefully they were just having a super busy night when we visited and service in general is good).

we’ve been long-standing fans of origano, regularly sending people in its direction when the request was for the best pizza in the city. having tracked progress on their new expanded premises, just over the road on leith walk from their compact previous place, we made a note to give it an early inspection.

if you’re looking for a cosy dining experience, then you should definitely consider booking a table at origano. the food is great and the atmosphere is truly unique. remember that it is a small place though, so book ahead to avoid disappointment.

oh, but i love origano!

the restaurant itself is tiny, which allows a sense of intimacy and cosy atmosphere to flourish. it's laid back and unpretentious, but they really know their food. i've been to italy many times (and eaten my way through most of italy...) and the offerings in origano genuinely match up to the authentic italian cuisine. the ingredients are fresh, imaginative and perfectly cooked. i've indulged in a sharing platter or two in my time, and the pizzas are perfect... so crispy, fresh and inventive. the staff are super helpful but relaxed.

i'd recommend time and again. and they deliver!

origano is an excellent addition to leith’s dining scene, it’s cosy and intimate with fantastic food and service. it’s a strong contender for edinburgh’s best pizzeria, although we may have to go back a few more times prior to making this decision just to make sure.

read our full review here:
http://www.edinblogger.com/2014/origano/

origano is an excellent addition to leith’s dining scene, it’s cosy and intimate with fantastic food and service. it’s a strong contender for edinburgh’s best pizzeria, although we may have to go back a few more times prior to making this decision just to make sure.

origano is an outstanding little place, serving the best pizza that we’ve found in the city, so far

fantastic little place with superb friendly service and probably one of the greatest pizzas i have ever tasted!! couldnt recommend this place enough!!

...not quite ready to pass judgement and say that it’s the best pizza in edinburgh yet- i think i’ll need to visit again and sample some more- i can definitely say that it’s well up there. it’s certainly different to la favorita in terms of the dough (their bases are thinner and crisper) and there’s a really nice cosiness about the place that makes it the perfect place for a quick bite to eat on a miserable autumn evening. or a lovely place to take someone for a romantic meal.