San Carlo's Flying Pizza review: After 50 years, it is still serving up as much atmosphere as ever

San Carlo’s Flying Pizza is a culinary institution in Leeds. After 50 years and a recent £2m refurbishment Chris Bond reckons it’sstill going strong – and serving up as much atmosphere as ever.

When I first came to Leeds nearly 25 years ago, I often stumbled past the Flying Pizza on my way home from the pub on a Friday or Saturday night. As well as being a culinary hotspot it had become a magnet for the wannabe movers and shakers of north Leeds, as well as those who actually were.

But rather than being the sole preserve of the city’s gilded class, the Flying Pizza always felt like the kind of place where you would get the same warm welcome whether you were going for a pizza and a glass of pop, or a slap-up meal and a couple of bottles of Cristal.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Sitting in a prime spot on the imaginatively named Street Lane, the main artery bisecting Roundhay and the heart of this well-heeled north Leeds suburb, the Flying Pizza first opened its doors back in 1974 and quickly made a name for itself.

San Carlo Flying Pizza, Street Lane, Roundhay, Leeds.San Carlo Flying Pizza, Street Lane, Roundhay, Leeds.
San Carlo Flying Pizza, Street Lane, Roundhay, Leeds.

This turned the forecourt in front of the restaurant into a high end game of one-upmanship where it became the norm to see a Porsche next to a Bentley or a Ferrari, or sometimes both, and part of the fun was guessing who they belonged to.

But while Salvo’s attracted flush students with an appetite for good food in Headingley, and city centre shoppers beat a path to Pasta Romagna (probably as much to hear the irrepressible matriarch Gilda Porcelli singing as for the food), the Flying Pizza, with the charismatic Adriano at the helm, quickly became the place to be seen, attracting the nouveau riche crowd in the ‘70s, ‘80s and ‘90s.

The glamour wasn’t just confined to the forecourt and celebrity-spotting became part of the experience to the point where you were disappointed if you didn’t see a Leeds United player or an Emmerdale star on a nearby table.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

By the late noughties, though, it had lost its lustre. Adriano had sold up and the bling and bonhomie that once set it apart started to look dated and out of kilter with the changing tastes and times.

San Carlo Flying Pizza, Street Lane, Roundhay, Leeds. Pictured Spaghetti Gamberoni Piccanti. Picture By Yorkshire Post Photographer,  James Hardisty.San Carlo Flying Pizza, Street Lane, Roundhay, Leeds. Pictured Spaghetti Gamberoni Piccanti. Picture By Yorkshire Post Photographer,  James Hardisty.
San Carlo Flying Pizza, Street Lane, Roundhay, Leeds. Pictured Spaghetti Gamberoni Piccanti. Picture By Yorkshire Post Photographer, James Hardisty.

In 2010 it was taken over by the San Carlo family who absorbed the restaurant into its growing culinary empire, breathing new life into it.

Despite this, the Flying Pizza had fallen off my radar. Or to be more accurate, with the Leeds food scene changing at a dizzying rate of knots it felt as though there was always somewhere new, or a bit more interesting, to try.

But when I heard that it had undergone a “thorough” £2m refurbishment, my curiosity was suitably piqued. Throw in the fact that it’s 50 years since the original Flying Pizza first opened and it seemed like a good time to reacquaint myself.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

The refurb, according to the website blurb, took its cue from the tradition of grand Milanese villas.

Pictured Frittura di Pesce Portofino fried seafood to share.Picture By Yorkshire Post Photographer,  James Hardisty.Pictured Frittura di Pesce Portofino fried seafood to share.Picture By Yorkshire Post Photographer,  James Hardisty.
Pictured Frittura di Pesce Portofino fried seafood to share.Picture By Yorkshire Post Photographer, James Hardisty.

The retractable roof over the terrace has also been improved and the walls are adorned with artworks by a selection of northern artists, in a nod to its Yorkshire roots. It all looks very stylish, though £2m does sound like a heck of a lot of money.

We booked a table for early Sunday evening expecting it to be fairly quiet only to find the place rammed, which boded well.

Despite its name, the Flying Pizza became known for the quality of its seafood and it seemed only right to see if this was still the case, so we opted to start with their Frittura di Pesce Portofino (£16.95 per person) to share.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Fritto Misto (fried seafood), of which this is a variation, can often be a disappointment. Done well, calamari are a real delight – tender rings of meltingly soft flesh coated in a light, crispy batter. Done badly and it’s like chewing on a rubber band.

Pictured Vanilla cheesecake. Picture By Yorkshire Post Photographer,  James HardistyPictured Vanilla cheesecake. Picture By Yorkshire Post Photographer,  James Hardisty
Pictured Vanilla cheesecake. Picture By Yorkshire Post Photographer, James Hardisty

Thankfully, here they were spot on. As were the prawns and mini scallops that made up this generous and moreish bowl of seafood treasure.

When it comes to main courses there’s no shortage of choice, with a wide range of pizzas and a good smattering of Italian and Mediterranean classics.

In the end we went for a couple of pasta dishes – another good barometer of any Italian restaurant worth its salt.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

The spaghetti gamberoni piccanti (£20.25), with king prawns, chilli, anchovies, capers, olives and San Marzano tomatoes, was a masterclass in Italian cookery – a few top notch ingredients cooked with aplomb.

So, too, was the zitoni Toscanini (£17.50), long pasta tubes of pasta with Tuscan spiced sausage, tomatoes and pecorino cheese. Sometimes good food really is all about simplicity.

I’ve never been a big fan of Italian desserts, apart from gelato of course, (I’ve had arguments with people over the merits or otherwise of tiramisu), but we opted to share the baked vanilla cheesecake (£8), which was sweet without being cloying and an ideal note to finish on.

The service was attentive and friendly (Italian restaurants are masters at this) and the bill, which included an excellent bottle of Verdicchio, came in at a shave under £130 for two.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Going to the Flying Pizza was never just about the food, though. The atmosphere and people watching – a favourite pastime of mine – were always part of the fun. The fact that the food is as good as I can remember is really the icing on the cake.

Looking around the room, there were regulars who probably come here every week, families celebrating birthdays and couples, young and old, out for the evening. This broad appeal is part of the reason it has lasted for as long as it has.

Whether it will still be here in another 50 years is a different matter, but the fact it’s here now and appears to be in rude health is cause for celebration.

As we leave, we walk past a gleaming Rolls Royce complete with personalised number plate taking centre stage on the forecourt. And it makes me smile. It’s nice to know that some things don’t change.

Welcome 4/5

Food 5/5

Atmosphere 4/5

Prices 4/5

San Carlo Flying Pizza, 60 Street Lane, Roundhay. LS8 2DQ. Tel: 0113 266 6501. Website:

Related topics:

Comment Guidelines

National World encourages reader discussion on our stories. User feedback, insights and back-and-forth exchanges add a rich layer of context to reporting. Please review our Community Guidelines before commenting.

News you can trust since 1754
Follow us
©National World Publishing Ltd. All rights reserved.Cookie SettingsTerms and ConditionsPrivacy notice