Rudy’s Pizza (Bold Street)

Let’s just acknowledge right away that there are a lot of Rudy’s pizzas around the country, with three locations in Liverpool alone. Yet, despite being a chain, Rudy’s serves no-nonsense, consistently good Neapolitan pizza. It’s the kind of place where you can pop in, quickly grab a pizza and a drink, enjoy the Italian’esque interior and hubbub of conversation and move on. It’s busy because it’s easy rather than fancy – a textbook casual dining experience.

The menu features classics done well, as well as monthly seasonal specials. You’ll see some ingredients outlined on almost every pizza’s topping list: Fior di Latte  is a creamy mozzarella made to a bespoke recipe, San Marzano tomatoes are fleshy tomatoes grown on volcanic plains, while the dough itself is from 00 Caputo Flour, made in the centre of Naples, all for the genuine Neapolitan pizza experience. Throw in some Nocellara olives too and an Aperol Spritz and you might just start to feel like you’ll on holiday.

The Bold Street pizzeria is at the top of one of the city’s most loved streets, overflowing with restaurants of every kind. Rudy’s is not the only place round there to serve pizza but it may be the busiest. You’ll find lots of seating inside and outdoors (with heaters), making it a more comfortable experience than some of the other, more cramped spots. It’s also a great choice when you’re with a group of friends and nobody can decide on what to eat – almost everyone likes pizza and Rudy’s caters to vegetarians and vegans. Need more convincing? Check out the drinks menu: the 0% drinks sound as good as the cocktails so now you really have no excuse.