There is something undeniably New York about grabbing a slice and carrying on with your day, and Pizza Monkey’s new home gives that ritual a fitting Auckland iteration. The pizzeria has left its former Rose Road spot and made the move into the CBD, bringing its generous by-the-slice approach with it.

Founded by Nikhil Satam, Pizza Monkey built its following by balancing familiar pizza comforts with more inventive flavour combinations, and the new city location continues in much the same vein. Classics such as Pepperoni sit alongside Miso Truffle Mushroom, Buffalo Chicken and Three Cheese Chorizo, all served by the slice for an easy lunch, post-work stop or quick city refuel.

What has not changed is the attention paid to the pizza itself. Satam’s approach has always been about finding a middle ground between tradition and something a little less expected, with premium ingredients and Fior di Latte mozzarella forming the base of each pie. The pizzas are then cooked in a purpose-built oven fuelled by mānuka wood, lending the crusts a subtle smokiness that has become part of Pizza Monkey’s appeal.

The new space is small, cosy and built around the same easy proposition that made the original such a good local stop: big slices, bold flavours and no need to commit to a whole pie. Casual, quick and satisfying, it feels well placed for exactly the kind of spontaneous pizza stop the CBD has been missing.

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