Just Pizza & Pasta — Restaurant in Douglas

We had our final meal on the Isle of Man at Just Pizza & Pasta, and first impressions were genuinely lovely. We were greeted with a warm welcome, and the service throughout was excellent – friendly, attentive, and efficient. The menu offers a great selection of both food and drink, and we were feeling optimistic.

One thing that really caught our eye was the proud mention that their mozzarella hails from Teano in Campania, Italy – the heartland of good pizza cheese. With that kind of statement, expectations were set for a slice of Neapolitan authenticity.

Alas, the pizza arrived… and things began to go downhill faster than a Vespa in neutral. There was so much cheese – so much – that it overwhelmed everything else. Any flavour from the tomato sauce or dough was lost in a chewy avalanche of dairy. It was more cheese-on-toast in a circle than an Italian classic.

Curious (and stuck in a corner table next to the fridge), I happened to glance over and witness the chef retrieving a big box of mozzarella clearly labelled “Made in the UK.” Not exactly the Fior di Latte from Campania that we’d been promised. I suppose technically it could have been made in “New Campania, Yorkshire”… but somehow, I doubt it.

While the pizza left us feeling more mystified than margherita’d, the saving grace came in dessert: the Oreo cheesecake was a delight – creamy, rich, and well-balanced. If they’re considering a rebrand, I’d suggest Just Pasta, Cheesecake & Some Cheese-Heavy Pizza.

All in all, great staff, good vibes, disappointing pizza, excellent pudding. Worth a visit – just maybe save room for dessert and don’t sit near the fridge if you enjoy...

The vegan options alone are great, the staff were very accommodating and suggested any dish on the menu could be made vegan - awesome. The tomato pasta dish I had was great - and a bit different than the standard vegan option which is typically some tomato paste and pasta.

However, the vegan cheese situation is a little dire. As a consumer who is vegan, you have to pay for (say a pizza), the original pizza including the price of normal cheese, then another £3 on top for vegan cheese. It doesn’t particularly make sense as a consumer, when you’re paying for both normal cheese and vegan cheese, especially when a pack of Violife from Tesco is 2.50.

My main suggestion for the cheese that comes with the pasta would be to look for the vegan Parmesan available. Grated vegan cheese is a little cheeky to throw into a small pot and charge 3.00 for, and takes away from the dining experience. It’s a genuine thought, they do an amazing vegan parm is M&S.

The vegan cheese itself is fine, there are better cheeses but with it being the Isle of Man, the access to them is limited.

A little bit of critical reflection on the pricing structure for vegans would be a big improvement, so we don’t have to pay for normal cheese and vegan cheese - and a change from grated cheese to vegan parm would be sick!

Otherwise it was a nice meal. Staff were very accommodating and the...

!!! BEWARE VEGETARIANS !!! (CROSS CONTAMINATION)

I went here a few weeks ago for a meal with friends, we were sat in front of the kitchen so was watching them making food. I noticed the waiter cutting the pizzas, to which I also noticed he was cutting the garlic bread with the same cutter he just cut the meat pizza with!

I had ordered a plain cheese pizza which they state on their menu as 'Vegetarian' when I clearly watched the fella pick out the pot the only pizza cutter they had in it & cut the 'Vegetarian' cheese pizza after just cutting a meat pizza!

I also watched the chef pick up meat with his hands put it on the pizza before preparing the 'Vegetarian' pizza without washing his hands... so yet again more cross contamination.

Absolutely unacceptable behavior from a restaurant & cross contamination is really serious! I will be reporting this restaurant as someone could end up really sick from this.

NOT HAPPY.

I pulled a staff member out on the pizza cutter on the night before my pizza was served asking if they had a veggie cutter…to which he replied “oh of course sorry I forgot your vegetarian” he reached behind the counter & pulled out another cutter…so yes it was corrected but only because I pulled them out on it…100% slacking when the bosses aren’t...