From pandemic food truck to Limassol pizza favourite

Everyone loves an underdog story. The early struggle, the humble beginnings, the protagonist clawing their way to the next level. This also applies to small businesses you find yourself inadvertently supporting during their proverbial baby steps.

Enter Fooduro. It started out as a food truck making Italian food during the pandemic, servicing the hungry, socially-deprived masses from an empty plot in Limassol’s Ayios Nicholas area.

My first recollection? My brother giving me a ring one day, raving about this “fantastic food truck making authentic Italian pizzas”. I said, “if you’re so certain I’ll enjoy it, put your money where your mouth is and treat me to a pie or two”. Treat me he did, and I did enjoy them.

Fast forward a few years and Fooduro relocated to a permanent brick-and-mortar location just up the street from where the truck used to be. The menu has also evolved since those early days.

One standout item that has become a personal favourite is their Fooduro calzone. A sort of pizza-burger hybrid (more on that word later). This delectable treat contains 150 grams of beef, mozzarella, bacon and caramelised onions. And the crust keeping everything together? Good enough to never want a burger in a white roll ever again.

They do serve conventional burgers as well, served in brioche buns.

Back to the pizza. The restaurant itself describes it as a hybrid, “blending the airy elegance of authentic Neapolitan style with a crisp, structurally sound New York twist”. Now, I love both of those styles of pizza so it would be hard not to love this one as well. I can attest that it is done very well, and it indeed feels like a middle ground between the two. Not to mention the 42-hour fermentation process their dough goes through. You can taste the effort and dedication.

We’ve tried their margherita (always judge a place by trying out items with few ingredients), pepperoni and formaggi pizzas (mozzarella, grana padano, fetta) and they were all excellent, although I am partial to the first two in particular. Crispy, flavourful, and, crucially, with quality toppings.

I have also tried their spaghetti bolognese, which was executed very well and offered the same level of care and consistency. It is another solid choice for a straightforward, well-prepared Italian classic. They also serve two desserts: a calzone filled with nutella and tiramisu.

I’ve tried the latter and it is outstanding. It had a wonderfully soft, almost custardy texture, with the creamy layers balancing the coffee flavour. A light dusting of cocoa powder on top added a subtle chocolatey finish, while the sponge underneath had softened as it absorbed the other ingredients above it, giving the whole thing a delicate, melt-in-your-mouth consistency.

As for the location itself, I’m happy to see quality food served in a quiet Limassol neighbourhood. Having to visit one of the city’s busier areas, where parking spaces have become increasingly difficult to find, can become a bit tiring. Naturally, the store serves a lot of customers through delivery companies but they also have a few tables for people to sit down and eat their meal on the spot.

It’s a casual place so no reservation seems to be needed at the moment but you never know. Does this small, self-owned business that makes great food get my recommendation? You bet it does.

VITAL STATISTICS

SPECIALTY: Pizzas, Italian food

WHERE: Fooduro, Omirou, 2, Limassol

WHEN: Monday, Wednesday, Thursday 12-11pm, Sunday 4-11pm, Tuesday closed, Friday-Saturday 12-11:30pm.

CONTACT: 25 430429

HOW MUCH: pizzas €12-€16, calzones €10-€14, pasta €9-12.