This review is the second among a set of two and a part of the Turned Tables series. You may find the first review in this set on Instagram.
Dublin has now got serious pizza places competing for everyone's attention, but without directly competing with each other. Doom Slice is the third in line to serve slices instead of pies after Bambino and Mani, and it has proved to be my favourite of the three. Bambino got Dubliners accustomed to New York-style pizza while Mani did the same for Roman-style, but Doom Slice has emerged stronger despite bringing the less common Detroit-style to the city’s attention.
When I say emerged stronger, I mean in terms of both taste and seating plan. It can be unnerving to end up somewhere for a pizza slice and see all of the few seats taken, but prepare for a happy experience here because this doom isn't the impending kind. Neighbouring Pawn Shop have lent themselves to Doom Slice customers and there's enough seating for everyone. Smuggling slice after slice into an unsuspecting bar next door feels a bit Prohibition Era, and I mean that as a massive compliment to the whole setup. It's a welcome change from buying a hot slice and not having guaranteed seating, which is sometimes the case at Bambino.
Taste-wise, the toppings here are the real stars, while the base used remains sturdy and reliably tasty. The "holy mushroom" earned its way into my heart as my favourite pizza in town. With jalapeños, hot honey and a sprinkle of chilli, it's serious about being spicy. The ricotta balances the spice well and makes dreamy mouthfuls when bit into along with the mushrooms; the thick, crusty base lends crunch to the soft toppings.
To put the pineapple-on-pizza debate to rest for myself, I got a slice of the "pancetta & pineapple". Pizza purists can hate me; I'm now a convert who believes that pineapple on pizza can be tasty (only when done right, though). This one lives up to the standard that most lovers of pineapple-on-pizza might have set for themselves. The marinara, cheese, small pancetta bits and pineapple come together beautifully in very satisfying ways. I felt a bit cheated with regards to the mention of fresh parsley on the menu, though — the kitchen could have used more and I can only imagine how brilliant a more generous sprinkle would taste on this particular slice.
“The gloat” slice comes with goat cheese, caramelised shallots and a cabernet sauvignon glaze. It’s a good mix of flavours and the goat cheese is very prominent, which the caramelised shallots complement very well. It was the weakest of the three slices we tried, but that’s not a criticism. The other two were just way too good. However, I’d definitely order “the gloat” again if I were specifically in the mood for something with goat cheese. It goes well with the candied jalapeño dip, which is like a sweet and spicy aioli.
Doom Slice garnered a lot of excitement when the first few photos of their pizza went up on Instagram, and so I’m a little surprised there hasn’t been more buzz around the place since it opened. It’s almost funny that the other two places serving slices were talked about more when they set up shop. Perhaps it’s one to file under Dublin taking a while to warm up to something that hasn’t been said or done before.
