Franco Manca has recently opened in Brighton following a string of successful establishments across London and one in Surrey. The chain restaurant makes pizza from slow-rising sourdough, baked in a wood burning brick oven, which – according to their website – is made on site by specialised artisans from Naples. The sourdough is left to rise for a minimum of 20 hours, and cooked at temperatures of 500C to give a soft crust, which is locked full of moisture.

Franco Manca sourdough pizza
The Brighton pizzeria opened its 130-cover restaurant at the end of May, and the chain has recently been named as ‘The best Italian cuisine in the UK’ by Yelp, according to Business Insider.

Franco Manca Brighton
Visited: June 2016
Likes:
Fantastic value for money

Franco Manca Brighton, Special’s board
Great service
Soft dough, which doesn’t leave you feeling too full after your meal

Franco Manca Brighton, menu
We love the chilli oil here!
Dislikes:
The fact that you can’t book a table
Review:
We went for lunch when Franco Manca had very recently first opened its doors to Brighton and it was, understandably, heaving. Luckily, they were able to seat us. The decor is understated with canteen style tables and chairs, and bare brick walls, with a beautifully tiled floor when you first enter the restaurant.
We ordered two pizzas to share and the staff were very accommodating, allowing us to have anchovies on only one half of one of the pizzas. The service was reasonably paced, given how busy they were. Both pizzas weren’t overloaded with toppings but this allowed the taste of the dough to really come through. The ingredients were simple yet tasty and we were left feeling satisfied without feeling the usual post-pizza heaviness.

Franco Manca sourdough pizza
I’d certainly return to this reasonably priced pizzeria and would recommend it for a quick tasty lunchtime pit stop. For more lunchtime suggestions in Brighton and Hove you can read our post ‘Top Ten Lunch Spots in Brighton and Hove‘.

Open kitchen at Franco Manca
Overall verdict: 8/10
Cost of food: Really reasonable at between £4-£8 per pizza
Address:
Franco Manca, Brighton
1 &, 2 Regent St,
Brighton
BN1 1UL
For more information on Hove-based sourdough pizza parlour, Morelli Zorelli, find our review here.
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