I tried Liverpool’s newest pizza restaurant Franco Manca and it wasn’t the pizza that blew me away

If you can't quite place what formerly occupied Franco Manca, the new pizza joint has taken over the former site of beloved art gallery Rennie's, which closed in 2022 after 42 years in business.

Now, the self-proclaimed 'sourdough pizza pioneers' have opened up shop in the site on Bold Street. Their menu features a selection of seasonal pizzas, sides, salads and snacks, as well as various sharing platters and veggie, vegan and gluten-free choices.

With stiff competition from American Pizza Slice, Rudy’s, Pizza Punks and Crust all on the same street - let's get into it and see how the place compares.

To start things off, my dining partner and I shared a Selection of cured meats with sourdough. Nothing makes me feel more like a character in The Sopranos than a big platter of Italian cured meats and Mama Mia; they were good.

Now, for the main event - I went for the Wild mushroom, truffle pesto base, mozzarella, smoked burrata, truffle oil and basil pizza. This was more of a white base vibe if you're into that sort of thing, which I am very much into.

I have to say that I think the star of the show was the crust of the pizza, which was a thing of beauty. The sourdough base has a satisfying, chewy texture - I think it says a lot when you're not just eating the crust because it's there and you hate waste but when you're actually looking forward to eating it. We got the dips for that very purpose, and the Scotch Bonnet chilli was my favourite.

Now, put a fork in me, I'm done, but not before trying dessert. Oh my gosh, that tiramisu was lighter than a fluffy cloud! It's not something I'd usually even order, but I'm so glad I did, as it was the perfect way to end the meal, even if I could only manage a couple of bites before passing it over the table to be polished off by my companion.