In my quest to move away from the bread-like pizzas offered by international chain of restaurants, I set out on a search for alternative options and found Pizza Den at Paradise Circle. I have been to Paradise umpteen times but this nook was completely hidden from my foodie eyes till I sought it out after hearing about it from the foodies' group. Where is it? Well, situated in a lane parallel to 'the' Paradise restaurant, this is a tiny shop a few feet above the road, with steps leading to it. It has no tables or chairs. Yet it can claim a 'dining space' as the steps leading to it serve the purpose of seating. The wide banister wall and a small ledge in the front of the eatery, help you rest your plate if you are averse to holding it for long. If you are not actually on the lookout, you can easily miss out this tiny eatery. My attention was drawn to it by the crowds one evening when I was driving by.
The Hyderabadis are waking up to alternate possibilities in Pizzas. Few years back, they might have relished the pizzas offered by international chains but personal experiences and interactions with clients from other countries make us realize that we are definitely being taken for a ride. Some questions we ask ourselves now:
In such scenario, Pizza Den comes as a wave of fresh air. One, the crust. It may not be soft and role-able but it was thin ( not a thin-crust pizza), crisp, well baked and topped with vegetables of your choice. Extra cheese costs only Rs 15/- And when you say extra cheese, it is actually extra cheese...oodles of it. The toppings are good and not too few. We had ordered for a take-away too and requested for an additional topping and found to our delight that we weren't charged extra for it. The pizza, about 7" across, tasted as though we were eating live food and not dead food. We then ordered for a Veg Grilled Sandwich and found it to be a slight letdown as it was made in a toaster and not in a grill. I mean that's how I make my sandwich at home, so how's it different? Not that I complain of the taste but it was not what I expected. Maybe the Cheese Grilled Sandwich is different.
Had also heard of their ice creams and felt compelled to order one as well. At 60/- you had the smaller portions and bigger ones at 80/-. We ordered one of each and found that even the one costing 60 /- was at least three scoops strong. More than satisfying quantities for an ardent dessert lover and too much for a non- dessert lover like me.
The pizzas cost around 100 each, the sandwiches 40-50, and therefore our order of 1 pizza, 1 sandwich and 2 ice creams came to Rs. 305 and that's what a meal for two costs. No extra Vats, no Service tax, no Service charge! The eatery runs from 5 pm to 10 pm and is a pure vegetarian one. It also takes care of the hygiene factor and provides disposable glasses and mineral water to its diners. The owner is a warm and helpful person.
Will I go there again? Of course, yes.
The Hyderabadis are waking up to alternate possibilities in Pizzas. Few years back, they might have relished the pizzas offered by international chains but personal experiences and interactions with clients from other countries make us realize that we are definitely being taken for a ride. Some questions we ask ourselves now:
- why these pizza chains offer us thick bread in the name of pizzas
- why they are so tough to eat once microwaved
- why the pizzas are so exorbitantly priced
- why each extra topping to be added charged so much
- and what we get at the end of the experience
In such scenario, Pizza Den comes as a wave of fresh air. One, the crust. It may not be soft and role-able but it was thin ( not a thin-crust pizza), crisp, well baked and topped with vegetables of your choice. Extra cheese costs only Rs 15/- And when you say extra cheese, it is actually extra cheese...oodles of it. The toppings are good and not too few. We had ordered for a take-away too and requested for an additional topping and found to our delight that we weren't charged extra for it. The pizza, about 7" across, tasted as though we were eating live food and not dead food. We then ordered for a Veg Grilled Sandwich and found it to be a slight letdown as it was made in a toaster and not in a grill. I mean that's how I make my sandwich at home, so how's it different? Not that I complain of the taste but it was not what I expected. Maybe the Cheese Grilled Sandwich is different.
Had also heard of their ice creams and felt compelled to order one as well. At 60/- you had the smaller portions and bigger ones at 80/-. We ordered one of each and found that even the one costing 60 /- was at least three scoops strong. More than satisfying quantities for an ardent dessert lover and too much for a non- dessert lover like me.
The pizzas cost around 100 each, the sandwiches 40-50, and therefore our order of 1 pizza, 1 sandwich and 2 ice creams came to Rs. 305 and that's what a meal for two costs. No extra Vats, no Service tax, no Service charge! The eatery runs from 5 pm to 10 pm and is a pure vegetarian one. It also takes care of the hygiene factor and provides disposable glasses and mineral water to its diners. The owner is a warm and helpful person.
Will I go there again? Of course, yes.
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