Vegan review: Mamma Mia

I’ve been to Mamma Mia numerous times since becoming a vegan – it’s been my go-to place to get pizza for a while now. For some reason, I’ve never reviewed it, so I thought I’d better rectify that! It was that weird period when lockdown was easing, and I wasn’t really sure if I felt comfortable dining out, so myself and a couple of friends decided to grab some pizza to go from the Jericho branch of the pizzeria. Just a short walk with pizza boxes in hand took us to University Parks, and with the sun shining it felt like the perfect evening (apart from the presence of many, many wasps).

I’ve always experienced good service in the restaurant, but we were really impressed by the speed with which our orders were processed. All three of us ordered separately and we only had two wait about eight minutes before we all had our pizzas in our hands. With myself being vegan, and my friend gluten-free and low FODMAP, Mamma Mia was able to cater to all of us, and as long as everyone likes pizza, I’d really recommend this restaurant if you’ve got a group with varying dietary requirements.

There is only one veggie pizza on the menu that’s vegan friendly (although you can surely make endless topping combinations of your own imagination), so I went with that one to make things easy. Plus, these particular veggies are some of my favourites. Being cooked in the pizza oven for a relatively short period of time, they weren’t overcooked at all which prevented the pizza from going soggy. The aubergine was melt-in-the-mouth and along with the soft, slightly charred courgette, it made for a really comforting eating experience. The freshness of the artichokes complemented sweet bell peppers, then you had the sharpness of a handful of not-quite-raw red onions. Artichokes are my absolute favourite on a pizza, and though I understand they’re expensive, that’s the only thing I wished I could’ve had more of.

I love the Mamma Mia pizza base – the crust was lovely and crisp, with the rest of the dough still soft but perfectly baked. The well-seasoned tomato sauce was covered with a generous handful of vegan cheese which actually melted. It got a little messy at points with there being enough cheese to slide off the pizza, so I enjoyed folding the slices in half and eating more or less like a sandwich (in the restaurant I’d have been more civilised and used a knife and fork, obviously). The pizza was a nice size, so I felt comfortably full, but not bloated, which I can tend to suffer with after pizza so I was pleased not to this time!

If I’m eating out and fancy pizza, Mamma Mia is my go-to. Having a complete filling and delicious meal coming in at just under £11 is great value in my book. They do also have both vegan and gluten-free pasta dishes available, though I’ve yet to try them. They have a branch in Summertown and I’ve heard they even have vegan desserts from time to time, so it’s on my list to visit one day – it’s just so far away from where I live. Have you been to Mamma Mia? I would love to know where your favourite pizza in Oxford is from, please let me know in the comments!