Archie’s is one of those places I’ve driven/walked past on multiple occasions and never considered entering. The exterior of the restaurant is fairly bland and it sits at the end of a row of restaurants that look equally uninteresting.

But Archie’s changes as soon as you get in the door and experience the raucous chatter of a full restaurant, and the warmth of the huge wood fire pizza oven. While the interior of the restaurant wasn’t particularly Italian, the food and the service was the real deal.

The pizzeria’s namesake, Archie – a stereotypical Italian with slicked back hair, a bit of bling and the genuine accent - showed us to our table and within minutes an enthusiastic waitress was pouring us water, and taking our drinks and food order. It wasn’t long before we were chowing down on the most delicious pizza I’ve had in New Zealand.

I ordered the Pollo e Pesto, which featured chicken, pesto, parmisan, pine nuts, mozzarella and zucchini. I have to admit, I was sceptical when I saw zucchini on the pizza. But it was suprisingly awesome! Best.pizza.ever…I would highly recommend. Archie’s mixes the ingredients perfectly atop a thin and puffy pizza base.

@WillSealnz ordered an equally delicious pizza - see image below, I can’t remember what it was called. It featured salami, mozzarella, tomato and a range of delicious herbs.

The food came quickly, which made it easy to keep lunch within the hour. It was also well-priced with both pizza and pasta dishes only $12 during the lunch period on weekdays.

If you’re a fan of pizza and pasta, Archie’s is a great corporate lunch option. I’d definitely recommend Archie’s for an informal lunch meeting or catch up, though book ahead to make sure you get a table. The lively restaurant is a bit too loud for more formal situations.

Overall rating: 8/10

• Location: 7
• Value: 9
• Service: 9
• Quality: 9
• Environment: 7
• X-Factor: 8

Archie’s Pizzeria, 61-73 Davis Crescent, Newmarket