Dublin’s Little Pyg tasted success for the second year running at the hotly contested 50 Top Pizza Awards in Madrid this month. Having scored a ranking at No.27 in the 2023 online guide to the best Italian and European Pizzerias, the team was delighted to see their venture climb twelve places to No.15 this year.
As an added bonus, Little Pyg also succeeded in retaining its gold award for best pizza in Ireland, in addition to securing the coveted accolade for ‘most authentic Italian produce’ in Europe.
Expressing his delight, Head Pizza Chef Federico Rapali, who originally learned his craft in Naples under the expert tutelage of the legendary ‘Godfather of Pizza’ Enzo Coccia, attributed their success to a combination of Little Pyg’s bespoke pizza oven made from the rock of Mount Vesuvius and the quality of the dough, which is left to ferment for 48 hours before being put into the oven. “It is these types of expert secrets, and the time and dedication spent, that make our pizzas so noticeably incredible.”
Accepting the award at the ceremony in Madrid, owner Paul McGlade Jr. credited his team for their hard work, and added, “Winning this Best in Ireland award, judged by some of Italy’s top food critics, means so much to us, and to be the only Irish restaurant to make it into the top 50 two years in a row makes us so proud.”
Having made the elusive top 20, Little Pyg will now compete for the top global pizzeria accolade at the world championships in Naples in September.
Words: Martina Murray
