Pizza and location
I know pizza is a contentious topic and everyone has their own definition of a “perfect pizza”, but hopefully we can come to an agreement that a woodfired pizza has its own charm. I am almost certain that the location where one eats pizza also has an effect on the taste. Well, imagine eating a woodfired pizza at the foot the Drakensberg mountains.
Tower of Pizza was established in 1995 in the Amphitheatre valley of the Northern Drakensberg. The name comes from the tower where they made the pizzas. When you waited for your pizza you could see the staff entering the tower and the smoke coming out of the chimney, but to my knowledge, they no longer use the tower. Instead, there is a beautiful woodfired pizza oven at the back.
I asked one of the staff members, Pah, if we could take photographs of said pizza oven. He went ahead and asked the owner that gave a thumbs up. We managed to go into the kitchen and snap some photographs of the process. Their pizzas are made from scratch with fresh ingredients. The staff are friendly with a smile constantly stretching over their face.
There are a variety of pizzas and you would surely find a choice nearest to your heart!
Atmosphere
The place is very authentic with its decorations and atmosphere. It has a South African rustic effect with old farming tools hanging on the walls and other farming equipment placed in and around the restaurant.
The chairs on the inside and on the porch are old shovels that are welded together which I think is such an original idea!
Consistency
Since we started camping at ATKV Drakensville, Tower of Pizza was our post-hike meal after our hikes in the Royal Natal National Park. It is a gem and have been for all my life. It has been my favourite pizza since I was around 8-10 years old and no other pizza can compare. After years of enjoying the best pizza, the quality of the pizza has not changed. As a reference I took a photo in 2019 and a photo a few days ago in 2023. As you can see it looks precisely the same and believe me when I tell you it tastes just as delicious. It is really impressive that they are that consistent even after Covid-19.
| 2019 |
| 2023 |
More than pizza
The names of the pizza is not the norm, but rather they gave each pizza a name of a different hiking location which is very original. If you are not a fan of pizzas do not be dissapointed because they also have pasta, salads, tramezzinis and a few other dishes like soup or curry. For the sweet tooth they have desserts ranging from ice cream to cheesecake. They really do have a bite for everyone!
If you love the place just as much as I do, there are different accommodation options for you to stay at. There are cottages and rondavels to choose from. The costs are from R500-R800 a night in low season and R500-R900 in peak season. If you want to find out more details you can visit their website.
A visit
This place is especially near to my heart because of all the fond memories it hold. I remember how I played on the small playground and the tractor or just enjoying my drink after a long hike. I hope you get to go to Tower of Pizza, it is really worth the visit.
(This post is my own creation and the photographs were taken with my iPhone and 
