Can Can Pizza, East Street: 'You wouldn't know it was East Street in November, that’s for sure'
A combination of above average pizza, insightful conversation, a soundtrack of Frank Ocean, and lovely staff made for a thoroughly enjoyable 45 minutes.
Pizza joints in Bristol are as common as Lucy and Yak dungarees, people converting vans and aspiring DJs. You can’t escape them.
In fact, you can get a wide range of pizzas from around the world in Bristol. Neapolitan, New York, Detroit, English. For a while, you could even get a pizza from a vending machine. And it wasn’t that bad actually. Especially at 5am; when it seemed an incredibly good option.
At Can Can you sadly cannot get a pizza from a vending machine. But the novelty of finding a tiny, picnic bench filled cave just off East Street is almost comparable.
But Can Can Pizza’s virtues extend beyond novelty. A short stumble from the Bristol Loaf, its handful of fold-away tables are tucked away behind a supermarket in something reminiscent of a large bomb shelter. Unlike the supermarket in question, its operation appears to be entirely legal. As I said, virtuous.
A short menu is always a sigh of relief. We ordered three quarters of it. Pistacchiosa is this week’s special (£12) flanked by carne picante (£12) and rockin’ Parma (£12). A garlic and tomato creation comes as extra because it’s the end of the night and they’ve got dough to spare. Wish I could say the same. (Pls subscribe.)
The scores on the doors are as follows. The marinara, the bonus pizza, topped the podium. At least it would in the regionals; it might struggle in the nationals, where it would have to compete with the likes of Berthas and Bosco. It boasts more crisp than its comparatives and garlic - the best vegetable - has been applied liberally. My chances of being attacked by a vampire on the way home were significantly diminished.
The carne picante came in admirable second place, sweet roquito peppers sparring with the entry level spice of a mild nduja and crisp full moons of picante salami. Smoky baconnaise (£1) may have been replicated in every pizza place everywhere but that’s because it’s good, and as the only dip on the menu it has to be. Vegans, beware. You should be as afraid of Can Can as the vampires are of me.
I still can’t work out if rockin’ parma is a play on words. I really hope it is because otherwise it’s just a bad dad joke. This pizza wasn’t as pitiful as the name might suggest, but it wasn’t my favourite. Joint third place with the pistacchiosa; I’ve never quite understood the love for Billy Bear sandwich slices which might as well form the majority of the topping.
But I’ll tell you what, I had a bloody lovely time in Can Can. If it were a film, it may be relegated straight to Netflix, but it would be a thoroughly enjoyable watch when you come across it. It did not feel like we were sat behind East Street in November, that’s for sure.
A combination of above average pizza, insightful conversation, a soundtrack of Frank Ocean, and lovely staff made for a thoroughly enjoyable 45 minutes. I can see myself lingering for much longer in the warmer months, or perhaps when their basement is finished and they’ve installed some sort of heating. Or indeed just anytime we haven’t turned up at 9pm begging for them to keep the ovens on.
It’s always a pleasure coming across something a little bit undiscovered. I won’t say it. You can’t make me. You know what I mean. East Street becomes more of a food destination by the day and Can Can is certainly helping to raise the bar.
If Can Can were a DJ, it may well get an early slot at Love Saves the Day next year. If it were a pair of Lucy and Yaks, it would probably make the window display. And if it were a van conversion, they’ll make a few bucks on it when they move to a flat in Fishponds next year. It’s certainly worthy of your support in its infancy, that’s for sure. Just steer clear of the neighbouring supermarket.
Words and photos by Meg Houghton-Gilmour
Can Can Pizza, 33A East St, Bedminster, BS3 4HH