Pizzeria Volpe is a new Neapolitan pizzeria that has been open in Mahboula for a couple of months. The pizzeria is a small hole in the wall place with just three tables inside and a couple of more outside. The pizza chef is a Kuwaiti who studied and got his certificate under the famous chef Enzo Coccia. Enzo runs the pizzeria La Notizia in Naples which was the first pizzeria in the world to be recommended by the influential Michelin Guide and fork. Volpe are still in their soft launch stage but I passed by anyway earlier this week to try them out. We were two people so we ended up ordering:
Garlic Bread KD2.000
Margherita con Funghi KD4.500
Peperoni Pizza KD5.000
Pistachio Dessert KD2.750
The first thing that arrived was the Garlic bread and it was super garlicy and delicious. Lots of flavor and when there was one piece left on the plate I wanted it. After the garlic bread the pizzas came one after the other. The pizzas were both great and similar in style and taste to traditional Neapolitan except for one minor edge, the Kuwaiti chef rubs a bit of garlic oil around the edge of the pizza to make the crust edge more enjoyable to eat. It works. It’s not as powerful in flavor as the garlic bread but you definitely get some flavor. Finally for dessert we ordered their Pistachio dessert. Not sure if I should call it Pistachio bread or pistachio pizza but whatever the actual term is doesn’t matter, the dessert was actually the best part of the whole dinner. It’s probably the single dish that would make me want to drive out all the way out to Mahboula again. Even though they had a Nutella pizza I really wanted to try something new and the pistachio pizza turned out to be a ridiculously great alternative.
If you live in Mahboula or in the vicinity, Pizzeria Volpe is a no brainer, probably the best pizza place in the area if not the only authentic pizza place there. On the other hand is it worth the drive from the city all the way to Mahboula? That I’m not so sure about although the pistachio dessert is definitely worth trying out at least once. Pizzeria Volpe is open from Saturday to Thursday, 7:30PM to 10PM. Here is their location on [Google Maps]
Update: Based on the comments it seems Volpe are randomly closed sometimes so might be better to give them a call on 98927436 before you head there.
13 replies on “Pizzeria Volpe”
pizza looks nice but isn’t small
Big fan of Neapolitan pizza, but not with these prices though, I stopped going to Solo Pizza for the same reason.
Went once on a Sunday evening, it was closed. Thought they’re off Sundays. Next week, it was a Monday or a Tuesday, it was again closed. 3rd time passed by after having dinner elsewhere just to have a look… and it was open 😐
Still haven’t tried out.
On the other hand Mark, why are people so against places opening up in Egaila, Fintas, Mahboola, Mangaf or Fahaheel? Don’t people live around here?
I’m not against places opening there, but it’s just a drive for me so I prefer going to places closer
Same experience here, I tried to stop by yesterday at 8pm – closed as well. Called the mobile number on their instagram, no answer.
I would love to try it out, but driving all the way to Mahboula for a restaurant that may or may not be open is a bit of a hassle.
Solo is way over rated! lets hope this one is ok
What!?! Are you referring to that hole in the wall kinda place in Kuwait City? Man, I went there a couple years back and it was sooo good! Their pizzas were super flavorful and they had some really unique combinations. I hope it hasn’t come down in quality over the last couple years, if that’s what you mean.
Agreed, actually their pizza was awful! It was so moist in the center that it felt like I was chewing on a wet rag! Not to mention their prices!
Okay, so what I am going to say is biased. I will acknowledge this from the get go. I know the owners and they are good people and hard working. My father and sister ate there a couple months back and really enjoyed it. They were even able to cater my sister who is Vegan. No we have had the real thing in Napoli and my dad said that there is not much difference. In Kuwait you can only get real Napoli Pizza in like two places and basically that’s what you pay for. As for them being in Mahboulah, that’s actually a smart move. Demographically in Kuwait, the majority of Americans, South Americans and other high wage Westerners live between Fintas and Fahaheel. Salmiya, Hawally, Shaab and those areas are more mid and high income Arabs and Asians. Don’t get me wrong. I know that there are some Brits and Americans in those areas as well but not in high numbers like Al Montaqah Al Ashara. This is mostly due to where they work at. Therefore if you want to open a restaurant that caters to Americans or South Americans, you are better off in Mahboula, Abu Halifa, Mangaf or Fahaheel. It has worked for me. We hit our 2 year anniversary last August. If I had opened my restaurant somewhere else it would not have lasted six months.
Caribbean Hut?
Yes Caribbean Hut.
Mark, you were in our hood and didn’t stop by!
To address the “Mahboula is far” crowd, it’s 15-20 minutes away from the 4th/5th ring corridor where most people live. Isn’t it better to drive 15 minutes for seriously good food made by local chefs than to drive 5 minutes to eat at yet another huge multinational chain? Your taste buds will thank you.
I really enjoy Solo Pizza Napoletana and like the idea of a Kuwaiti chef who learned the traditional way-of-the-pizza. That’s what enhanced the experience. Ever since they started opening for lunch and went on to open their other restaurant in Salhiea, I feel their pizza quality has gone down ( I just can’t except a filipino trying to make a traditional Napoletana pizza).
The excitement of a Kuwaiti who’s learned a pizza technique and opened his own hole-in-the-wall pizza place has dissipated.
I wouldn’t mind trying the place though……..provided they’re open!