The MCR favourite lands in Sheffield with bold flavours, light-as-air crusts and plenty of hype. We went to find out if it delivers.
Sheffield has no shortage of good pizza restaurants, but the city’s latest dough-slinging arrival, Forbici, comes with plenty of acclaim – including a recommendation from none other than Marco Pierre White. The famed Yorkshire chef reportedly dubbed it the best pizza he has ever had in his life, no less. And this is a man whose word you take when it comes to matters of culinary importance.
So, with Marco’s words ringing in our ears, two members of Team Exposed took the short stroll from Kelham into town to see if they were really onto something special.
First of all, the venue itself. You’ll find Forbici on the Arundel Street-facing side of Millennium Square, in a new unit that has been sectioned off into its own two-floor restaurant. In keeping with the area’s aesthetic, the space is sleek and industrial – all exposed steel and floor-to-ceiling glazing – but softened with a few homely nods to its Neapolitan roots. A colourful mural showing a bustling Italian piazza overlooks proceedings, while tins of Campanian tomatoes are stacked alongside sacks of Molini Pizzuti pizza flour – a key component in their signature three-generation biga dough, a process they say elevates flavour and structure well beyond standard methods. More on that later.
After being greeted warmly by our server Antonio, we took two window seats and settled in with a cold beer each, watching the large brick pizza oven roaring away on the other side. There’s an almost hypnotic rhythm to it all, pizzas constantly sliding in and being whipped back out on long oar-style paddles. Word has clearly spread about Forbici, and even on a Monday evening the place was bustling – something that not so long ago would have felt unheard of in Sheffield city centre. But times they are a-changing, and it proves the old adage: build it and they will come.
Right, so – the food. The snacks and sides section of the menu offers a tight, no-fuss run of Italian small plates that does exactly what you want from a carby pizza prelude: snackable and built for sharing. We kicked things off with some gordal olives, padrón peppers and a frittatina to share. The olives were plump and glossy, while the peppers arrived nicely blistered, finished with sea salt and a squeeze of lemon to brighten things up.
But the real standout here was the frittatina ragù. Even halved, it felt like a serious bit of comfort food – crisp on the outside, giving way to a rich, molten centre of slow-cooked beef ragù, mozzarella and béchamel-bound pasta. Sharing one was enough as we were wary of leaving room for the main event.
Now, let’s talk pizza. What’s their secret, you might ask? Well, they’re pretty open about it, actually. It all starts with the dough: a biga base, dialled in to a precise pH of 5.0 and left to prove for 12 hours at a steady 24°C. The result is that ultra-light, thin ‘risco’ crust – crisp, airy and built to hold its own. And, in true Neapolitan fashion, each pizza is snipped into four neat quarters with ‘forbici’ (Italiano for scissors), ready to be torn into and devoured straight away.
We went for the Capricciosa and the Napoletana, covering both sides of the menu. The Capricciosa is a classic done right – a well-balanced mix of mushrooms, prosciutto cotto, artichokes and black olives over that rich San Marzano base, with the fior di latte bringing everything together perfectly. The Napoletana, on the other hand, leans a little bolder. Swapping tomato for a white base lets the smoked provola really come through, backed up by punchy Napoli sausage, bitter greens from the friarielli and a welcome kick from the ’nduja and chilli.
Even though it’s very much a Neapolitan affair, there are some nice nods to Sheffield and Yorkshire culture running through the menu. The rotating specials board featured the ‘Yorchetta’ – a playful spin on the classic pork sarnie, loaded with all the expected elements, amped up with crispy crackling and a generous hit of Henderson’s Relish. We were far too full to tackle dessert, but the ‘Parkin Sticky Toffee’ dessert pizza was doing a very good job of turning heads – that’s one for next time. There’s even a Henderson’s mayo on the dip list. You’ve got to respect the commitment.
The verdict? Forbici is another cracking addition to Sheffield’s ever-growing pizza scene. If Manchester is anything to go by, expect this place to stay busy – and for good reason. No bookings needed; just swing by, grab your scissors and get royally stuck in.
FORBICI
3 Millennium Sq, Sheffield City Centre, Sheffield S1 2JJ
