Shamrock (Altea) - Restaurant review

9/10 Arguably, the best pizza restaurant in Altea

There's a county map to go on the wall

A hurling stick and a shinty ball

The bric, the brac, the craic and all

Let's call it an Irish pub!

An Irish Pub song

Apparently there are more than 7000 Irish themed pubs all over the world. They seem to appear on every continent and in every city. Some of the key elements include toothless simpletons, wood everywhere and Guinness. What more could one ask for? So it was quite a surprise when I realised that Shamrock on Avenida La Nucia in Altea was not an Irish pub but a pizzeria. Did the decor scream "leprechaun meets Italian nonna"? No. Were there shamrocks hanging from the ceiling and a pizza oven that could double as a pot of gold? No. Did the menu have a special lucky charm pizza served by staff dressed in little green suits dancing merry jigs as they served customers? No too. Was I disappointed? Yes!!! I love a little jig. Not really, because instead of Jamesons and Caffreys, we got stunning pizza and a fantastic wine selection. And a bit of naff wood on the the bar too.

We arrived on a chilly Thursday night for a special adventure, tasting the wines of the Bodega Familias Gil with a menu created by Shamrock that was exquisitely paired with the wines.

We took our seats in the restaurants interior, adjacent to the magnificent wood pizza oven realising that the cold outside was a distant memory. It was like a sauna!

There was an eclectic group of fellow foodies waiting to feast and drink. Indeed in front of us a group of young lads merrily drank beers whilst awaiting their first wine with one of the group unwittingly showing us their naked bathroom mirror selfie. Oops.

Not to skip too quickly over the wine tasting and most of the food that we indulged on that evening - they were all excellent. A prawn tartar, a salted beef carpaccio, pizza and an orange sorbet paired with a Muscatel, sauvignon blanc, Crianza Monastrell and a Cava brut.

The pizza is why we are here. Shamrock pizzeria emphasises a passion for fermentation and ingredients that represent the best of the area. Their menu has a collection of pizza ingredients and bases that really demonstrate this and having tasted quite a few pizzas on their menu, I can say definitively that Shamrock makes my favourite pizza in the area.

"Because you know I'm all about that bass, 'Bout that bass, no treble" As discussed previously in our review of La Fornera, I am all about the base and the wood fired, expertly fermented base at Shamrock is absolutely heavenly. Flavourful from the wood oven and the choices of flour used in the dough with a light and not overly thin texture. The ingredients are also top quality and much thought has gone into some of the combinations used. You can choose between a classic, gourmet or pinsa base which is usually not circular and has a much lighter texture. All have their own strengths and all are very tasty.

Last but certainly not least, is the level of service that seems to be always on offer at Shamrock. A cheery, knowledgeable and attentive service has always been offered when we have visited. Although they do have a questionable policy regarding pizza/plate sharing and charge any table 3 euros if a diner does not have their own plate of food.

If you are up for the craic and want to find a pot of pizza gold at the end of a rainbow, then Shamrock is the place to be.

Shamrock Pizzeria website

https://shamrockaltea.com/

Menu

https://shamrockaltea.com/carta/

Location

https://maps.app.goo.gl/7Z5sRunetY11QeUw6