In the world of pizza, there's one truth that is universally agreed upon: pizza from chains like Domino's and Papa John's is overpriced and often over-rated.
A large pepperoni at Domino's comes in at £20.99, and that's without your wedges and cookies. What's worse is that most franchise pizza dough is mixed in a factory and delivered to the store frozen. The Mirror reported that Domino's turns over a 900% profit on its Margherita pizza, which costs just £1.25 to make.
If a you're after a genuinely decent hand-stretched pizza that doesn't break the bank, then look no further. We've complied a list of the 10 best independent pizzerias in Swansea, in no particular order. You can read more about Swansea here.
Read more: What people had to say about the 10 best restaurants in Swansea
1. Dinu's Pizza
Dinu and his wife Madalina opened up a pizza-oven truck in the back garden in Waun Wen last year after they found local franchise pizza to be lacklustre.
Dinu makes the dough fresh every day and makes his own sauce from scratch, simmering it up for four hours to pack in maximum flavour.
Renowned for their crispy bubbly crust, they've been wildly popular since first opening.
Address: Private, but you can order through Uber Eats by clicking here.
Opening hours: Monday to Saturday, 6pm to 9.30pm.
Rating: 4.9/5 stars on Uber Eats.
How much? £8.50 for a Margherita.
2. The Pizza Boyz
The Pizza Boyz is the brain-child of Nano and Ali Tortorella, twins born in Swansea to an Italian dad and Welsh mum.
A truly independent family business, The Pizza Boyz started out in a horsebox several years ago and has since upgraded to a busy restaurant and takeaway on Walter Road, Uplands, in the former Old Tenby pub. Their younger sister, Taya, also has a big hand in running the business.
If there are any pizza experts in Swansea, it's the Tortorella family, as stated on their website: "The Tortorella family line can be traced way back to a little village called Villagio Tortorella in the Campania Region of southern Italy. The family worked the land on the shores of the sun-kissed Mediterranean, growing tomatoes and tobacco. The tobacco is a no goer these days but they still grow the tomatoes and supply some of Italy's best known companies."
Address: 129-130 Walter Road, SA1 5RG.
Opening hours: Wednesday to Friday 4.30pm to 9pm, Saturday 1pm to 9pm, Sunday 1pm to 8pm.
Rating: 4.8/5 stars on Google Reviews.
How much? £8.99 for a Margherita.
3. Dario's
Dario's in Sketty is one of the highest rated restaurants in Swansea, and the good news is that they deliver, too.
Dario's pizza is fresh, thin and crispy and always topped with high quality ingredients.
If you fancy a Dario's for dinner, they also sell a gorgeous home-made tiramisu.
One TripAdvisor reviewer said: "Every time this place knocks out the best pizza in town. The Picante is my favourite and I genuinely haven’t had a better pizza anywhere else in town or much further a field. Exceptional."
Address: 87-89 Eversley Road, Sketty, SA2 9DE.
Opening hours: Tuesday to Sunday, noon to 2.30pm then 5pm to 9pm.
Rating: 5/5 stars on Google Reviews.
How much? £10 for a Margherita.
4. Vesuvio's
A local legend based in Plasmarl, pizzas at Vesuvio's are cooked in a 25-year-old wood burning pizza oven by executive chef and owner Carlos Aguiar.
They have a huge menu of authentic Italian dishes and it's popular for it's decadent seafood platters and 'steak on a stone' dishes, too.
One happy TripAdvisor customer said: "Pizza is the best I ever had in UK, and the staff is very welcoming as well."
Address: 200-201 Neath Road, Swansea, SA1 2JT.
Opening hours: Monday-Saturday, noon to 9.30pm.
Rating: 4.5/5 stars on Google Reviews.
How much? £10 for a Margherita.
5. Castellamare
Castellamare in Bracelet Bay in Mumbles has recently been taken over by the Secret Hospitality Group, the business which runs The Secret Beach Bar and Kitchen on the seafront at St Helens.
The venue reopened on February 28 as a cafe-bar, and the restaurant is expected to fully open in the coming weeks.
The cafe-bar still has a hearty Italian menu filled with dough-based goodness, and the 'Bianco' thin and cripsy pizza range is particularly popular.
Address: Mumbles Road, The Mumbles, Swansea, SA3 4JT.
Opening hours: Tuesday-Sunday, 10am to 8pm.
Rating: 4.4/5 stars on Google Reviews.
How much? £11.50 for a Margherita.
6. Dusty's Pizza
Located in concept venue Founders and Co, Dusty's Pizza serves a delicious thick-crust Neapolitan pizza that's made in a wood-fired oven.
Dusty's Pizza started out in Cardiff in a pizza van, and in that time it's also seen the launch of its off-shoot Dark in Castle Arcade in Cardiff city centre and the creation of Nook - a cosy spot in Canton serving small plates and natural wine which earned itself a place in the Michelin Guide this year after only one year of trading.
Dusty's pizza undergoes a lengthy proving process which allows them to use less yeast in their dough than usual, meaning their pizzas feel a bit lighter than other pizzas.
Address: 24 Wind Street, Swansea, SA1 1DY.
Opening hours: Seven days, noon to 10pm.
Rating: 4.5/5 stars on Trip Advisor.
7. Verdi's
A Swansea favourite all year around, Verdi's is a family-run cafe, ice cream parlour and licensed restaurant on the sea front.
The restaurant offer a great selection of vegan and gluten free pizzas, too, as one TripAdvisor reviewer stated: "Gluten free and vegan pizza! Delicious pizza possibly, best I've had, the cheese was a vegan Parmesan rather than the normal vegan mozzarella you get and it was really good! Lots of toppings and a fab view."
Address: Knab Rock, Mumbles, Swansea, SA3 4EE.
Opening hours: Monday-Thursday: 10am to 6pm, Weekends: 10am to 9pm.
Rating: 4.5/5 stars on Google Reviews.
How much? £9.25 for a Margherita.
8. Brewstone
A strong contender on the Uplands dining scene, Brewstone is known for its fresh pizzas and tapas that are always cooked fresh on their wood-fire oven. It's listed on Deliveroo, and it even has a pop-up van on Swansea University 's Singleton campus.
They have quite a unique selection of pizzas including the 'Cymru am Byth' that's served with bacon, leeks and smoked Welsh cheese.
Address: 33 Uplands Crescent, Uplands, Swansea, SA2 0NP.
Opening hours: Seven days, 7am to 1am.
Rating: 4.3/5 stars on Google Reviews.
How much? £9 for a Margherita.
9. Papi's Pizzeria
Papi's Pizzeria is one of the best places to get a pizza in Mumbles, and they have also recently opened in Uplands, too.
Their pizza and breads are made by hand every day using family recipe sauces that are made on-site daily.
Address: 135 Mumbles Road, The Mumbles, Swansea, SA3 4DN.
Opening hours: Tuesday to Saturday : 5pm to 9pm.
Rating: 4.5/5 stars on Google Reviews.
How much? £8.50 for a Margherita.
10. Hoogah
Hoogah in Brynmill has become something of a community hub over the past few years, regularly hosting well-being workshops, quizzes and meditation classes, but it's most popular for its decadent sourdough pizzas.
Hoogah's pizza menu is quite unconventional and includes a pizza with venison, capers and mushrooms, as well as a pizza that's topped with blue cheese and pickled blackberries. They do have some staples on there, too, including ham and tequila pineapple.
Address: 68 Brynymor Rd, Swansea SA1 4JJ.
Opening hours: Tuesday to Thursday: 9am to 11pm, Friday and Saturday: 9am to midnight, Sunday: 9am to 11pm.
Rating: 4.7/5 stars on Google Reviews.
How much? £9 for a Margherita.
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