origano

after a long day we arrived at therestauranta 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.

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. thisrestaurantis 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 mainrestaurantis 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; therestaurantmanager 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).

oh, but i love origano!

therestaurantitself 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!