Wood-Fired Stone Oven Pizza in Side: 15 Thin-Crust Pizzas

For wood-fired stone oven pizza in Side, Hawaii Restaurant & Bar in Side old town bakes every pizza in a wood-fired stone oven on a thin, 33 cm Italian-style base. There are 15 pizzas on the menu, from Margherita to Indiana, plus a gluten-free base, a kids' pizza and takeaway.

What a wood-fired stone oven actually does to a pizza

A pizza is only as good as the heat underneath it. In a wood-fired stone oven the fire burns inside the chamber, so the stone floor, the domed roof and the air all hold a great deal of heat at once. When the dough goes in, three things happen together.

• The base crisps from below. The hot stone pulls moisture out of the dough straight away, which is why a stone-baked base has that dry, snappy underside rather than a soft, bready one.
• The top cooks from above. Heat bouncing off the roof melts the cheese and cooks the toppings in the same short bake, so nothing sits waiting for the base to catch up.
• The edge picks up char. Open flame leaves small blistered, darker spots on the crust. That light char is part of the flavour, a gentle smokiness you do not get from an electric or conveyor oven.

The same oven is not only for pizza. Some of our Turkish casseroles, such as the lamb casserole and chicken casserole, are cooked in the stone oven on clay plates, so the oven is working through the day.

A thin 33 cm base, Italian style

Every pizza is rolled thin to about 33 cm across. A thin base suits a hot stone oven: it bakes through quickly, stays crisp to the middle and lets the toppings lead. One pizza is a generous meal for one person, and two or three shared between a table with a starter works well for families and groups. If you want the full story on the base itself, read our guide to the thin-crust 33 cm pizza in Side.

All 15 stone oven pizzas on the Hawaii menu

These are the pizzas as they appear on our menu, with the toppings the menu lists. Current prices are always on the live menu.

A few notes to help you choose. The Margherita is the purest test of a stone oven, because there is nothing to hide behind; if you are torn between a classic and something meatier, our Margherita vs Pepperoni comparison lays out the difference. The Calzone is folded over before it goes into the oven, which gives a softer, steamier filling and a puffed crust; see calzone vs pizza if you are deciding between the two. The Mexicana brings jalapeno heat, the Indiana is our sweet-and-savoury curiosity, and the Vegetarian is meat-free on the menu. For a dish-by-dish walk through the whole list, see the Hawaii pizza menu guide.

A note on meat toppings: our bacon is real pork. The source of the ham, pepperoni and salami is not something we state here, so if that matters to you, please ask your server before you order.

Gluten-free pizza

A gluten-free pizza base is available. Ask your server which toppings can go on it that day. We do not have a certified gluten-free kitchen: the oven, the work surfaces and the staff are shared, so if you are coeliac or highly sensitive, tell the team when you order so they can take what care they can, and decide what level of risk suits you. Our page on gluten-free pizza and pasta in Side goes into more detail.

Kids' pizza and families

Children have their own Kids Pizza on the children's menu, with tomato and cheese plus ham or salami. It comes out of the same wood-fired oven, so younger diners get the real thing in a smaller format. High chairs are available, and the alcohol-free children's cocktails are a popular pairing.

Takeaway pizza from the stone oven

Staying nearby and fancy pizza on your balcony? Pizzas can be ordered as takeaway, and we deliver to nearby addresses. Message us on WhatsApp at +90 533 930 12 83 with your order and we will tell you when it will be ready. A thin stone-baked base is at its crispest straight from the oven, so eating in is still the way to taste it at its peak.

Pizza, a cocktail and a match

Hawaii is a restaurant and bar in one, open daily from 10:00 to 02:00. Many guests pair a pizza with a cocktail during Happy Hour, daily from 19:00 to 20:00, or order one to share while the football is on the screens. If you would like our wider take on pizza in town, read our pizza in Side guide.

Getting here and booking

We are in Side old town and have been serving since 2000. Free return hotel pickup is available from selected hotels, with a paid two-way transfer from farther areas. Walk-ins are welcome, but for groups, busy evenings or a pickup, reserve a table or send a WhatsApp message to +90 533 930 12 83.