What’s on offer?
If you are of a certain vintage, you may remember Chez Jules, a casual French restaurant in the building that is now occupied by Michelin-star restaurant D’Olier Street. With Chez Jules a distant memory, Ray and Tony McHugh, the twin brothers behind that last-century venture, shifted their focus from French to Italian after a visit to Naples in 2017.
They opened Sano in Temple Bar in April 2018, believing there was a gap in the market for an alternative to what the larger pizza companies were offering. Sano pizzas are Neapolitan style. The dough is made onsite daily and fermented for a minimum of 48 hours using a sourdough starter. Pizzas are hand-stretched and topped with ingredients sourced from Italy. The pizzas are cooked at temperatures of up to 500 degrees in a Moretti Forni Neapolis Oven. There is a core selection of 10 pizzas, while vegan and gluten-free pizzas are also available.
What did we order?
The meal deal, which offers two pizzas and one side. We went for the Sapori Del Sud and vegetarian pizzas, with garlic bread as a side and a garlic dip.
How was the service?
Ordering on Deliveroo was straightforward. Our food arrived on time, but was just about warm. The website says: “Whack your oven up to 220 degrees and get your pizza back in the oven for 2-3 minutes.” I’ll remember next time.
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Was the food nice?
Once the pizzas had a whack of heat, they were very good. The dough had good flavour and the crust was nicely charred. The fennel sausage on the Sapori Del Sud worked nicely and there was a good spiciness to the nduja. The vegetarian pizza was loaded with delicious chunks of roasted aubergine and pepper with molten cheese. The garlic bread is great value as a side, effectively it is a full pizza base with garlic and frazzled rosemary on top. The garlic dip tastes as if it has been turbo-charged with roast garlic.
What about the packaging?
The pizza boxes are made from recycled cardboard and are recyclable. Most of the other takeaway containers are biodegradable.
What did it cost?
€32.98 for dinner for two people: two pizzas and a side, €29.99; garlic dip, €1.50; and service fee €1.49.
Where does it deliver?
Open daily, 12pm-10pm. Deliveroo delivers within a 2.5km radius of the three outlets, Ranelagh and Temple Bar in Dublin, Parnell Place in Cork.
Would I order it again?
Yes, the meal deal is very good value, enough for three people, and having gluten-free and vegan pizzas is a plus.
