Is there anything better than a delicious pizza, steaming from the wood fired oven, covered in the meltiest cheese and all your favourite toppings? Perfect dough with a light, crunchy crust and just overflowing with real Italian flavour, this Neapolitan-style pizza has finally arrived in Jozi! The newly opened Dolci Bar & Pizzeria is the only place you’ll find this taste experience.
Dolci Bar & Pizzeria
The new space is the brainchild of Chef Jackie Righi-Boyd and her husband Clayton Boyd, owners of Craighall’s famed Dolci Café (situated alongside Dolci Bar & Pizzeria), which is regarded as one of Johannesburg’s best Italian restaurants. The pair is working in collaboration with the team behind the city’s new pizza sensation – O’ver Pizza – which includes Marco Torrente, Miss South Africa 2019 finalist Lisa Stoffela, self-taught baker and chef Hamed Youssef and Reem Khamis.
In local Neapolitan dialect “O’ver” is used to refer to a person, place or thing as legitimate, true, the real deal. In this case, it refers to the authenticity of the pizza served by Dolci and O’ver and the genuine passion to share this experience with pizza fans while also giving customers a taste of something totally different to current offerings.
The Classics
The aim is to keep it simple but with something to suit every taste. There are the classics – the traditional staples that never change such as the Antica Margherita (fior di latte mozzarella, Italian tomatoes and basil, R110), Diavola Piccante (beef salami with hot sauce R120) and the Contadina (olives, mushrooms, red pepper and ricotta, R120). Gourmet signatures include the Calzone (fold-over, R130), the Francese (smoked mozzarella, crisp lamb bacon, caramelised onion and berry balsamic reduction, R140) and the O’ver (ricotta mousse, smoked salmon, lemon zest and fresh fior di latte, R140).
Bar snacks – including fried chicken wings, pork ribs, crispy cauliflower florets and crispy chicken – are also available, as well as starters from next door’s Dolci Café. There is also a range of refreshing cocktails from Prosecco Negroni to Strawberry Mojito.
From the Owners
Chef Righi-Boyd is delighted with the extended offering: “We have always been proud of our Italian heritage and food. When we originally opened back in 2015, we started as a small Italian pasticceria (pastry café) and have expanded over the years with a full array of Italian dishes. However, we never served pizza! When the shop next door became available it was logical to include this in our repertoire. O’ver brings that traditional feel we love, as Marco Torrente was born and raised in Napoli!”
Says Stoffela: “Our toppings are all made in-house using mostly local ingredients. Only our tomatoes and mozzarella cheese are imported because nothing else gives our pizzas that true taste of Italy. We chose our suppliers with care, and continuously experiment to deliver a menu that reflects South Africa but still stays true to the institution that is authentic Neapolitan pizza.”
Adds Youssef: “We use modern techniques and local ingredients to achieve the traditional measures that define Neapolitan pizza. Our dough is naturally leavened using stoneground flour for 24 to 48 hours. The result is an airy, easily digestible pizza that cooks in 90 seconds.”
Buon Appetito!
Follow Dolci on the following links:
- Facebook: DolciCafeSA
- Twitter: Dolci_SA
- Instagram: dolci_sa
- Website: dolci.co.za
Dolci Bar & Pizzeria is open from 11:30am to 9:30pm Monday to Saturday and from 11:30am to 3pm on Sundays.It is fully licensed and also offers an array of top South African and international wines.The address is Shop 4 – 6, Lancaster Village, 28 Clarence Avenue. Craighall Park, Johannesburg. Telephone: 010 900 2274.
