HS asked its readers where to get the best pizzas in Turku. Certain places rose above others in the answers. Helsingin Sanomat visited the readers’ favorite places to order pizzas.
Pizza supply in Turku became a topic of conversation when the well-known Dennis chain filed for bankruptcy and the brand was sold back to the founding family.
The legendary pizzeria Dennis was founded in 1975 and, based on the information received on Tuesday, may make a comeback. Since those times, Turku’s pizza offering has expanded significantly and today there are many styles. If Dennis really returns in his original style, the competition is tough these days.
HS asked its readers where they can currently get the best pizzas in Turku.
We received hundreds of responses, and in them certain restaurants rose above the rest. Among the favorites were pizzeria 450℃, Gustavo and KBC Taproom. The reader survey is not an all-encompassing scientific study, but it mainly gives an indication of which pizza places readers like.
In the story’s reader comments, only comments whose authors’ identity is known to the editor have been used.
HS Turku went to test the three places praised in the survey with the help of two editors. We ate a margherita pizza at each place, or if it wasn’t available, a pizza as close to it as possible.
That classic pizza created from simple ingredients says a lot about the level of the pizzeria. What is the base like, is the taste of the tomato sauce right, are the ingredients of high quality?
Our first destination is a pizzeria 450℃ in Turku’s shopping hall.
“A Neapolitan perfectly fried base. The dough is very skillfully made. The raw materials are absolutely top class. The taste is always right, and there is no hangover after eating. It seems to be the only pizzeria in Turku that is also listed on foreign top lists. And I’m not surprised!” says the man, 45, who responded to HS’s reader survey.
Founded in 2019, 450℃ is one of the few Finnish pizzerias that has been included in the list of the best pizzerias in Europe. The list in question does not include Italian restaurants.
The place’s pizzas are Neapolitan-style. Neapolitan pizzas with generous edges are baked in a blazing hot oven for only about a minute.
450℃ margherita.
There are charred spots on the edges and bottom of the pizza, the base is soft and chewy, the tomato sauce has a good sweetness. Cheese and tomato are suitable in relation to each other. The tasty edges disappear from our plates down to the last crumb.
The restaurants in the shopping center have a common dining area. The environment is noisy and busy. Almost all the tables are occupied when we arrive. Some left the place with pizza boxes, but at best this pizza is eaten immediately.
We went to 450℃ at lunchtime and waited half an hour for pizzas.
You can’t go to the restaurant in the evening, because the market hall closes on weekdays at 6 pm and on Saturdays at 4 pm. On Sundays, the Market Hall is not open at all. Some of the respondents to HS’s survey are upset that the restaurant does not offer a glass of wine with the pizza.
Margherita costs 12 euros at 450℃.
On the second day we head to Aurajokiranta restaurant Gustavo.
“The base, the right amount of toppings, the quality and ingenuity of the toppings”, man, 48.
In some answers, the atmosphere of the restaurant is separately praised. A few respondents mention scissors that are brought to the table with the pizza for cutting.
“Excellent base and original fillings. The traditional Margherita is also first class. Importing scissors with pizza is a very effective solution. Otherwise, the service is great and the location is central. Full marks!”, woman, 63.
There is much more to Gustavo’s menu than pizza: for example, various antipasto options, air-dried ham, pastas, risotto and meat dishes. Gustavo says on his website that he is a Mediterranean restaurant, and the menu includes, for example, Spanish boquerones fish and French bouillabaisse soup.
The restaurant is located in a beautiful house in Aurajokiranta, the shop has previously functioned as a pharmacy, for example. Our window table overlooks the Cathedral. The minus of the seat is the heater that glows hot.
The pizzas are made within sight, as the pizza oven stands in the corner of the restaurant hall. The attention is drawn to the hams, which are suspended from the ceiling and attached to sturdy racks.
“Novelty! You can choose to have your pizza baked Neapolitan or Roman,” the menu reads.
We’ll take both. The Neapolitan version is clearly different from the Roman one in appearance: the edges are very plump in the Neapolitan-style version, the Roman version is thinner.
The waiter says that the Neapolitan-style version is their classic. The staff is pleasant and helpful.
Gustavo’s Neapolitan style margherita.
The amount of mozzarella has not been spared, we even have too much in our pizzas.
Margherita costs 14 euros in Gustavo.
Last we go to Kakolanmäki, which is known as the old prison area. There is a brewery restaurant by Kakola Brewing Company.
“Creativity in the choice of raw materials, one of a kind, you can’t get anything like it anywhere else!”, male, 26.
The answers also praise the place’s vegan pizzas.
The restaurant, which opened in 2021, previously only served pizza slices, but now offers whole pizzas.
The brewery’s production facilities are located in the same building, and the dishes are accompanied by the brewery’s own beers. Concerts and other events are organized in the restaurant, recently a knitting club and a Christmas card workshop have been held there.
In addition to pizzas, the menu includes French fries, breaded mozzarella balls and other key pieces. There is no traditional margherita on the menu, so we take a pizza called Mozzarella.
Mozzarella pizza from KBC Taproom.
In addition to mozzarella, the pizza has scamorza cheese. Judging by the menu, there is Japanese miso paste in the tomato sauce. The pizza is topped with roasted cherry tomatoes and fermented basil. The pizza is an original version of the classic, and it is deliciously chewy and greasy. The base is thin and crispy, tomato sauce has been spread all the way to the edges.
Mozzarella pizza costs 14.50 euros.
This time the cheapest pizza was in Kauppahalli, the most expensive in Kakolanmäki. However, the price differences were not large.
The places suit different needs: 450℃, for example, for lunch, Gustavo for dinner, and KBC Taproom for casual sitting. Something for everybody.
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