Dimuthu’s pizzas are back in Colombo!

Dimuthu Gamage is back and he’s back in style creating and serving what he knows best, pizzas! If you love your authentic pizzas like I do, then you’ll understand why I am raving about the delectable pizzas he makes. In terms of authenticity this is probably the closest you’ll get here in Colombo to the real deal while the flavours will linger in your senses for a long time.

I’d suggest you start with their starter platter (Rs 700), which includes fresh and crunchy Caprese salad on skewers. It also includes bruschetta but not on top of hard crust bread. Instead he packs the filling into a thin calzone and another on the platter is a juicy cheese and mushroom filling in a thin calzone.

We tried out three pizzas the evening we visited Giovanni’s – the Spicy Chicken Pizza (Rs 1,100), Diavola (Rs 1,200) and the Salami Milano (Rs 1,200). They were each delicious in their own way and full of subtle yet binding flavours.

The Spicy Chicken Pizza with basil, black olives, mushrooms, bell peppers, onion and topped with blue cheese and gorgonzola packs a hot punch while the two cheeses compliment it all, making it a marriage made in culinary heaven.

A slightly less spicy pizza is what Dimuthu calls the Diavola. He starts off by baking the pizza with garlic and tomato and once it is hot out of the oven, he tops it with generous chunks of mozzarella and capers. You can easily have more than two slices of it as it isn’t too heavy but it is full of subtle Italian flavours – It’s one of those simple yet delicious treats on the menu.

We ended our tasting with the juicy, meaty and spicy Salami Milano which has salami of course, as well as blue cheese, tomato and basil. If you like good Italian salami, this is the pizza to appreciate it with. It is quite heavy so a slice would suffice but if you are hungry, just dive in and enjoy this scrumptious treat.

Dimuthu uses ingredients from both Sri Lanka and overseas to create these delightful pizzas and the best part is that the prices aren’t over the top. The mozzarella in particular is purchased right here in Sri Lanka while ingredients like salami are imported from Italy. The restaurant has a homely feel with low tables and chairs with chequered table clothes and terra cotta floors. He hopes to open up the roof top of his restaurant for dining as well.  For now you can have your dinner either at the restaurant or have it packed for you to take home. He doesn’t offer delivery as yet.

Ratings:

Taste – 5 stars
Value for money – 5 stars
Friendly staff – 5 stars
Cleanliness (Restaurant) – 5 stars
Cleanliness (Toilet) – 5 stars
Parking – 3 stars

Address: 145, Thimbirigasyaya Road,  Colombo 5
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/giovannispresto

Hours of operation: 7.00 to 10.30pm

By Natasha Fernandopulle
Pix by Kanishke Ganewatte