RESTAURANT REVIEW: Finger-licking pizza

During the 90s, this long standing pizza joint used to be the only worthwhile pizza joint in town. At that time, the main man behind the show was an Italian gentleman, Pietro Averono who was dye in the wool Ugandan despite being Italian by birth and was very proud of the Italian fare on offer at Mamma Mia. Not that he was known to go in the kitchen and cook, rather he is a man who is not only passionate about the food of his native Italy, but during his tenure his pizzas used to be highly acclaimed.

In 2010, Averono parted ways and to this day Mamma Mia is still place where one is always assured of having good pizzas that boast of having a thin crust that is essential when judging pizzas. Speaking of which, one would be remiss in not mentioning the fact that they have a wood fired oven; an indispensable plus that cannot be underestimated and makes a world of difference.
Recently, we chanced to drop by Mamma Mia and ordered for spaghetti served with a well-spiced arabiiata sauce served al dente. Not bad. As for pizzas, we chose the Hawaii that comes with ham and pineapple and mercifully the pineapple was subtle and far from being over bearing. The service is fast and well-prepared food with the portions being just right. I would say despite there being numerous pizza joints in and around Kampala, Mamma Mia can still hold their own and have the added advantage of having a large al fresco fits in well with our temperate climate.

Dessert
For dessert, there are the famous tiramisu or the plain marble or queen cake and of course a variety of Italian ice creams from which to choose. There is also spaghetti ice cream and float ice cream. Chef Patrick Okwetcho is the head chef of Mamma Mia and is a seasoned fellow who is always around to ensure that things run smoothly.
Last but not least, they do deliveries and they are open seven days of the week for breakfast lunch and dinner.

If you go…
Place: Speke Hotel
Smoke-Free Zone: Not allowed on the veranda
Recommended items: Tiramisu and the Italian Ice creams and of course the pizzas
Service: Very good
Ambience: Great for relaxing
Open: Breakfast, lunch and supper seven days a week
Our Rating: Worth a visit
Menu: Special homemade pasta, lasagna Shs 30,500, tuna in garlic, green chili, olive oil and Parmesan cheese, garlic bread is Shs17,000 while the pizzas average around Shs 25,000 for the regular and scale up to shs 32,000 for the king size. An extra topping of cheese is Shs 7,000 and an extra topping of prosciutto crudo would be Shs 9,500. They also do burgers and sandwiches as well as grills.
The space: Al fresco
The crowd: Residents and diners mainly from the city center

The bar: Coffee, tea juice beer wine smoothies
The damage: Pizzas are between Shs 25,000 and Shs 32,000, sodas are Shs 3,500.
Sound level: Very good
Parking: On the street but secure
If you go: Daily

NOTE

RATINGS: These ratings are purely the reviewer’s personal reaction to food, ambience and service with price being factored into consideration. The menu listings and prices are subject to change without notice.