I tried Flying Pizza by San Carlo in Roundhay: a Leeds United favourite still thriving after 51 years

Flying Pizza has been a Street Lane staple for well over half a decade. Founded by Franco Pardini in 1974, the restaurant in Roundhay is not only known for being one of the city’s oldest pizzerias but also for being a hotspot for Leeds United players.

In fact, Flying Pizza recently featured in The Athletic and was used as a location for a French documentary on legendary Leeds United player Olivier Dacourt. The club’s former manager, Howard Wilkinson, who saw the club through to the 1992 First Division win - the last before the Premier League was formed - was also a fan, often wearing a Flying Pizza hat in interviews back in the 90s.

With so much history, it’s no wonder the restaurant is busy on a dark Tuesday evening in October. It is well worth booking a table to avoid disappointment.

My guest and I are seated in the heated, mostly full, front room, which faces the main street outside. There is a birthday party a few tables away, and the tentative staff are carefully attending to their need while still making time to look after the remaining guests.

Flying Pizza has been part of the San Carlo family since 2010, as evidenced by the chain’s well-known wall of fame, featuring grainy photos of the likes of Liam Gallagher and David Beckham posing with staff at restaurants in Leeds, Manchester and Liverpool.

For diners, this means a well-balanced menu featuring many well-known Italian mainstays.

The large starter menu includes most things one would expect at an Italian eatery, and may look familiar to anyone who has visited any of San Carlo’s other restaurants.

We start with a mix of Italian bread with black olive and sundried tomato tapenade paired with Salmone Affumicato; fresh, smoked salmon with capers, shallots and lemon on a crispy hardbread. The perfect mix of fresh flavours, while not being too filling ahead of the main course.

And while there are plenty of pasta and fish dishes to choose from, no visit to Flying Pizza is complete without a pizza.

I select the superbly good Burrata with a fantastic tomato sauce, fior di latte, vegetarian ‘nduja, excellently roasted tomatoes, three whole creamy burrata, and basil pesto served on a perfectly fluffy, warm and chewy dough. It’s as good as a pizza gets.

My guest, meanwhile, chose the Pappardelle all’Anatra - a generous bowl of long ribbon egg pasta topped with a rich, slow-cooked duck ragú. The dish arrived steaming, crowned with freshly grated Parmesan and plenty of tender, shredded duck that fell apart with ease. It was hearty, indulgent and beautifully balanced, with no need for embellishment. When the ingredients are this good, simplicity speaks volumes.

As we settled the £91 bill, complete with two starters, two mains, a pint of Peroni and a medium glass of rosé, we left Flying Pizza with full bellies and happy faces.

While Flying Pizza is steeped in history and has seen its fair share of celebrity diners throughout the years, the restaurant remains a welcoming place for locals, regulars and those visiting Roundhay to enjoy.

The varied menu and reasonable prices ensure the 51-year-old restaurant will remain a North Leeds mainstay for decades to come.

Factfile

• Address: 60 Street Ln, Roundhay, Leeds LS8 2DQ
• Telephone: 0113 266 6501
• Opening hours: Mon-Thurs, noon-10pm; Fri-Sat, noon-10.30pm; Sun, noon-10pm
• Website: https://sancarlo.co.uk/restaurants/flying-pizza-leeds/

Scores

• Food: 9/10
• Value: 7/10
• Atmosphere: 9/10
• Service: 9/10