Pizza and cocktails at Santa Maluco...

I do not usually come straight home from an event and start writing about it, but I have just got back from a fun new venue that I cannot wait to share with you all so there is no time like the present. Santa Maluco is a new Rodizio style pizzeria and cocktail bar located on the corner of Castle Street in Liverpool, in the shadow of the Town Hall. The Rodizio style of dining (essentially an 'all you can eat' concept where the food keeps arriving) usually consists of meat, so it is interesting to see this Brazilian style of eating applied to pizza. Eating pizza by the slice in this way is popular in Brazil and this is a fresh new concept which aims to rewrite the rule book in Castle Street, offering a more informal style of experience revolving around a variety of wood-fired pizzas as well as a list of delectable cocktails.

The venue has a slightly industrial feel with metal light fixtures and a sweeping bar area flanked by the pizza oven, beyond which a large wall is dominated by a custom artwork. Guests were greeted on arrival by a refreshing cocktail which was a blend of Aperol and prosecco, then it was time to sit down and enjoy some pizza. Rodizio is an informal style of dining where servers roam the floor with pizzas which you can partake of by the slice, tables are adorned with spinning signs so that you can signal when you are full or when you want to have more pizza.

The whole ambience was fun and the music was tuned up as the space filled up with guests. I sipped a dry white wine as slice after slice of pizza was delivered to the table. All the pizzas are Southern Italian style, thin crust and wood-fired making them extra crispy and hard to resist. We sampled carbonara, what the duck (shredded duck, spring onions, cucumber and char sui), Portuguesa (ham, onions, hard boiled egg, olives and oregano) surf and turf (topside beef, chilli prawns, green pesto and spinach) and margherita. All of the pizzas were irresistible and my favourite of the night was the cinco queijo, with gorgonzola, mozzarella, pecorino, parmesan and requeijao sauce this was a dream for me as I am slightly obsessed with cheese! The pizza tasted so authentic, with a thin and crispy base and a generous amount of toppings.

Later, talented Brazilian samba dancers from Viva Brasil Samba raised the roof and we settled back for another round of drinks, there is an extensive selection of cocktails, wine and beer available but special mention must go to the ‘$5 dollar shake’, a blend of vodka, Chambord, milk, blueberry jam and ice cream this is an indulgent treat not to be missed.

I think that Santa Maluco will be a welcome addition to the restaurant and bar scene around Castle Street, bringing a totally new dining destination to the business district of the city. You can go for the full Rodizio experience (a continuous flow of pizza until you are full) or just pop in for a couple of slices. With a wide variety of pizzas and drinks to please everyone, I am sure this place will be bursting at the seams…much as I was after so much pizza!

Director Matthew Farrell, one of the partners behind the independent group Graffiti Spirits who already operate city centre bars Santa Chupitos, El Bandito, Salt Dog Slims, 81 Ltd and their ‘smokehouse and cocktails’ venue Slim’s Pork Chop Express witnessed guests enjoying signature cocktails and a touch of Brazilian Rodizio with their Neapolitan pizza. He said: “We’re really grateful to all of our guests for the turn out last night. We’ve been overwhelmed on social media thanking us and commenting on our unique brand of cocktails and wood-fired pizza. To be fair, the evening couldn’t have gone any better. The entertainment provided by Viva Brasil and Katumba Bloco made for a great spectacle and our team were first class looking after more than 200 guests.”

Santa Maluco 

2 Castle Street 

Liverpool 

L20NE 

What do you all think, do you like the idea of a Rodizio style pizza and cocktail bar? As always I cannot wait to hear your thoughts and thank you so much for reading this post.

Until next time,

Camille 

xo