Spin pizza, Nicosia

Pizzerias, unlike traditional eateries, live and die by table turnover. That’s the nature of the business when you sell a high-margin, low-cost product. Simple economics.

And pizza itself is profoundly simple, too. Bread with stuff on top.

Luckily, it never seems to go out of style.

Here in Nicosia, this has perhaps been best illustrated by the capital’s newest sensation: Spin.

Getting a table here takes planning. Our first attempt came on a Thursday night at around 10pm. My faithful dining companion and I arrived at the narrow, slightly out-of-the-way arcade the pizzeria calls home expecting a lively, bustling scene.

Instead, we were greeted by haunted stillness.

The pizzaioli stood behind the counter looking like shellshocked Verdun veterans, eyeing us as if we were newly arrived commanding officers preparing to order them over the top once more.

Instead, the manager informed us that the restaurant had simply sold out. By the time we arrived, more than 200 patrons had already beaten us to the punch and there was nothing left to sample.

We were told to come earlier next time, as Spin does not take reservations.

We redoubled our efforts a few days later, this time with a party of four. Even arriving early proved no guarantee of success. A fair few diners had already claimed tables by the time we got there.

The atmosphere is unmistakably laid-back, perhaps best encapsulated by the urban-chic patrons eating pizza on the steps of the arcade itself – clearly the most coveted seats in the house.

The menu, much like the venue, is concise and curated. Sourdough pizza, local wine and craft beer.

We decided each of us would order a different pizza in an attempt to cover two-thirds of the menu. This was easier than expected given that Spin offers just six pizzas, including the ironically named vegan option, Soil.

My faithful dining companion kept things simple with the evergreen Margarita (sic), albeit with a spin in the form of grated anari cheese atop the mozzarella.

Our friends opted for the Pepperoni and The Cure.

I went with the cryptically named Agrelli, if for nothing else than the fact that its ingredient list on the menu ran four lines long: crème fraîche, yellow sweet zucchini, scamorza affumicata, asparagus, anari, sea salt and Sichuan pepper.

Whatever happened, I thought to myself, at the very least I would have something to say about it.

Being made with sourdough, the pizzas arrived looking every bit the part, sporting ballooned, blistered crusts with just the right amount of char. The crisp exterior delivered a measured crunch before giving way to a soft, chewy interior, offering a pleasant balance between structure and elasticity.

Both the Margarita and Pepperoni benefited from their less conventional additions – the anari on the former and the Parmigiano Reggiano on the latter. In both cases, the extra cheese elevated the savoury depth of the pizzas without overwhelming their core flavours.

The Agrelli, despite the intimidating ingredient list, turned out to be surprisingly restrained and delicate. No single component dominated the others; instead, the pizza unfolded gradually, each bite revealing something slightly different from the last. A well-balanced success.

But the undisputed champion of the evening was The Cure. Its infused creamy tomato sauce, smoked pancetta, scamorza affumicata, Parmigiano Reggiano and fresh mozzarella combined into something deeply comforting. The smoky, rich and indulgent ingredients made every mouthful feel rewarding.

The friend who ordered it looked increasingly smug with every passing slice – and, frankly, deserved to.

By the end of the evening, it became clear that Spin is part of something larger currently taking place in Nicosia.

The city’s once-humble pizza scene is undergoing something of a revolution. New pizzerias are opening with increasing frequency, they are gaining traction, they are being talked about. Local chefs are experimenting with doughs, fermentation methods and unconventional toppings, all while putting a distinctly Cypriot touch on a quintessentially foreign dish.

This is what makes pizza so captivating in a smaller place like Cyprus. Unlike Naples, Rome or New York, there is no baked-in dogma here dictating what a pizza must be. No sacred rulebook governing the perfect slice. The pizzaioli of Nicosia – whether formally trained or gloriously self-taught – are still allowed to flourish through experimentation.

Spin feels very much like a product of that freedom.

It may not win encomiums from pizza purists, but there is plenty to admire at a place willing to push beyond the predictable formula while still remembering that pizza, at its core, is meant to be simple, joyful and shared.

And judging by how difficult it is to get a table, Nicosia seems more than willing to embrace that idea.

VITAL STATISTICS:

SPECIALTY: Pizza

WHERE: Spin, Kosta Chatzopoulou, Nicosia

WHEN: Wednesday to Saturday 6-11.30pm

CONTACT: 99 010214

HOW MUCH: Pizza: €9 – €16