Cosmic Pizza | Bottomless pizza brunch comes to Brighton

Cosmic Pizza has launched in The West Hill Tavern pub, offering a range of tasty topping combinations as well as Brighton’s first bottomless pizza brunch!

The West Hill Tavern was taken over around a year ago by Ben and Heather Piston, and restored to create an environment centred on family and community. Now, they’ve introduced Cosmic Pizza – serving up fluffy, stone-baked pizzas with a variety of inventive toppings and options for both vegetarians and vegans.

I headed over to the press launch for an opportunity to try out some of their pizzas, vegan doughnuts and grapefruit mimosas.

First impressions

It was my first time visiting The West Hill Tavern so I can’t comment on what has changed, but it did strike me as a welcoming and cosy pub. We all know the uneasy feeling of walking into a pub that isn’t ‘your local’ and sticking out like a sore thumb, but it doesn’t feel like that here. There are little nooks with mismatched chairs to settle in to and regular events throughout the week, such as live music, quiz nights and raffles.

Cosmic Pizza

Using a caputo 00 flour, well-loved for Neapolitan style pizza, every pizza is also topped with a homemade tomato or cream base. As of next week, there will also be gluten free based on offer. At the time of writing, the current menu offering is as follows:

Evening menu:

• Classic: Buffalo mozzarella, tomato, fresh basil
• Baa-Baa-Rella: Moroccan lamb, apricot & pomegranate sausage, goats cheese, roast butternut squash, harissa labneh, zhoug
• Meat Thyme: Fennel & thyme salami, prosciutto, mortadello, mozzarella, hot pickled red onions, rocket and pumpkin seed pesto
• Sgt Pepperoni’s Heart Club Band: Smoked pepperoni, peppers, mozzarella & parmesan, hot pickled red onions (VEGAN)
• Sorry Miss Jackfruit: Pulled bbq jackfruit, seitan donner, charred sweetcorn, pineapple, mozzarella (VEGAN)
• Spring Greens: Purple sprouting broccoli, courgette, spring onion, mozzarella, cream base (+ chilli & fennel sausage)

Let’s Get Pizza’d brunch:

• Shakshuka: Peppers, red onion, roasted spice tomatoes, easy egg, green sauce, harissa labneh, mozzarella (+chorizo)
• Avocuddle: Salmon, avocado, spring onion, capers, rocket, cream base
• Lets Get Funghi: Devilled mushrooms, easy egg, rocket, cream base (+bacon bits)
• ‘The Juan’: Avocado, easy egg, monteray jack, jalapeños, red onion, charred sweetcorn, black bean sauce (+chorizo)
• Wakey Wakey: Eggs, bacon
• Tufo: Scrambled tofu, roasted spiced tomatoes, tempeh bacon (VEGAN)

The team whizzed around the pub with plates of pizza for guests to sample, but unfortunately I only got to try a slice of the Baa-Baa-Rella, Shakshuka and Spring Greens. Despite being difficult to hold together and eat by hand, I really liked the topping combinations for each, with the Spring Greens slice reminding me of my usual go-to white pizza. I was also pleasantly surprised by the cornicione on the pizza, managing to be crispy on the outside and satisfyingly soft on the inside, but it would have been good to see a bit more of leopard spotting for an authentic feel.

On top of the standard menu, vegan Doh-Nuts and authentic gelato are on offer for dessert, as well as your standard Sunday roasts. The team have also shared that they are planning a ‘pizza roast’ in several months’ time!

(Cosmic) Pizza for brunch?

A concept that is bound to divide brunch-lovers, but I’m totally here for it. I could eat pizza at any time of day and, coupled with two hours of unlimited prosecco, seasonal mimosas and Frozen Marys (that’s a Bloody Mary slushy – again, potentially opinion-diving), I can’t believe it’s only just come to Brighton.

I got a chance to taste the Shakshuka, based on the popular North African brunch dish. The flavours worked well on a pizza base, with nice tanginess that’s complemented by the mozzarella and labneh. The Tufo will be available for vegans, and the team will do their best to accommodate requests to provide more choice where they can.

When can I go?

Now! Cosmic Pizza will be serving up 12 inch pizzas on their evening menu, Tuesdays-Saturdays from 6-9pm. Brunch doors open at 11am on Saturdays, running from 11.30am-3pm, with two-hour sittings for a 10 inch pizza and unlimited booze at £25 per person. Bookings aren’t necessary but definitely recommended, particularly if you have any dietary requirements (GF, VEG).

Despite only getting to try a few slices, I think this is a really fun concept and certainly different to anything else in Brighton right now. You can check out The West Hill Tavern’s website for menus, prices and events listings.

What are your thoughts on pizza for brunch? Let me know below!