★ ★ ★ ★
€ € €
The Well is more than a well-situated watering hole; hidden inside is one of Dublin’s best pizzas. Given its location just off Grafton Street and facing Stephen’s Green, you may be forgiven if you thought it was a tourist trap. This, however, is far from the truth.
The Well is a laid-back, open floor bar and restaurant serving Dublin Pizza Company (DPC), uh, pizzas. It is reminiscent of European food-markets, with shared tables and a loud, bustling atmosphere. The waiters are all very friendly and laid back, but still rapid. The selection of beers and cocktails is excellent, albeit expensive, but what can you expect given its location.
The star of the show, naturally, is the pizza. I got the ‘Bianca’ (€14.50), which has mushrooms and a white base instead of the ‘traditional’ tomato one. My friend got the ‘Lucifero’(€16.00), a spicy choice with nduja and blue cheese. Mine was great, with the dough being excellent and the mushrooms flavourful. My friend wolfed his down, so I assume it, too, was a good choice.
To address the elephant in the room, no, it’s not quite as good as Pi Pizzas, at least not from my experience. The pizzas are slightly more soggy than in Pi, and they are less generous with the toppings. That said, I still rate The Well / DPC as the second best pizza in Dublin, which is no small feat. Perhaps if I visited at a quieter period (it was a full house on a Saturday when I went) the quality would match Pi. I guess going back for another taste is the only way to find out, which I’m not overly upset about.
Alex Lohier – Deputy Editor
