I know it's painfully uncool, but I can't help loving Edinburgh's trusty old Pizza Express

Gaby Soutar

I don’t think I’ve ever eaten a full price meal at Pizza Express.

For over a decade, I regularly ate out at the branch that was on Holyrood Road, right opposite The Scotsman’s office. We all did. It was the Noughties, and they reigned supreme.

The brand constantly had money off vouchers, and I’d secretly print them out in the office, before heading across the road for a Fiorentina (the one with egg and spinach).

Those seem like innocent pre-Deliveroo days, before other global chains - Wingstop, Five Guys, Popeyes, Jollibee - were popping up on every high street faster than you can say ‘chicken giblets’.

So, yeah, I have affection for the brand. I guess almost everyone has some sort of experience. After all, this year they are celebrating their 60th birthday.

That’s a triumph of sorts, considering many of us thought they were goners after they closed a lot of branches post pandemic. To celebrate, and to prove that they’re down with the kids, even though they’re about as hip as a replacement, they’ve launched a trendy Icons Collection clothing line with London-based bespoke fashion house, AGRO. This merch, including pizzaiolo-inspired striped T-shirts, is hanging on a rail in various UK branches, including the one at Edinburgh North Bridge.

The leather jacket at £495 is way out of my price range, but I wouldn’t say no to the kitsch doughball bag, even if it does look slightly like polyps. Sadly, it’s not here, and has probably sold out on their TikTok shop by now.

Instead, I will have to make do with eating, rather than wearing those, even if I do find it very odd that people order them before having a pizza. Their newest menu item - the Blazing Hot Dough Balls (£8.25) - is one of the starters on their refreshed birthday menu. Since I am a wuss, I ask for the billed Sauce Shop hot sauce on the side. I needn’t have worried, it’s pretty mild, with only a lightly sizzling note of magma in the vinegary bright red jus. I’m quite into the garlic butter smothered dough balls, too, since they’re light and puffy. Very poppable.

I had this carby octet with one of the five new cocktails - the long and summery Dean Street Collins (£9.95), which contains Sipsmith London Dry Gin, soda and lemon, and is named after one of the brand’s first branches. Apparently, this spot was also a jazz club, as their founder, the late Peter Boizot, was a fan of the beard-stroking twiddly music.

Next up is their new Queen Margherita (£10.25) from the Roman Specials menu. It’s a bog standard Margherita, with tomato, basil leaves, mozzarella and wafer-thin Grana Padano shavings on a very thin, Frisbee-able and sandstone-coloured crispy base. The royal twist is the addition of a creamy white bolus of burrata, plopped right in the centre. It’s the best bit, and, because it makes the rest of the acreage a bit dull, I end up with leftovers in the shape of a Polo mint.

Queen Margherita | Gaby Soutar

Next time, I’d go for one of their other new additions, like the Pollo Italiano (£19.45), with chicken, spinach, mozzarella and garlic; the Lombardy Speciale (£20.45) with bresaola, artichokes and rocket, or the Calabarian Hot (£19.95), which features topping including nduja and hot honey.

For pudding, guess what? That’s right, you can never have too many dough balls. This time round, they are sweet versions, as part of their Golden Caramel Chocolate Dough Balls (£10.45) option, which was also created to celebrate their birthday. This is a portion to feed two, and features icing sugar, gold dust and salted caramel sauce.

I thought about going for it, but I didn’t want to turn into the Pillsbury Doughboy, a la Ghostbusters, and start marauding along the North Bridge Arcade.

Instead, I decided to go for another newbie - a raspberry coulis-striped slice of lemon and raspberry cheesecake (£8.25), which comes with vanilla ice-cream. It’s been years since I had this variety of retro cake, and the light and bright example gave me renewed enthusiasm, especially the crispy Biscoff-ish base.

Gaby Soutar

After all those doughballs, I thought I’d just eat half of pud, then take the rest away, but that didn’t happen.

So I don’t want to get too sentimental over a chain, but it was nice to be back.

Fiorentina is still my number one though. As long as they can make it half price.

Pizza Express, 23 North Bridge, Edinburgh (0131-557 6411, www.pizzaexpress.com)