After a rather solemn farewell to Oscar’s Lockdown Pizza, we say an enthusiastic hello to Carmen’s Pizza, who has now taken over the kitchen at the The Blue Moon. The pub has a solid reputation as a fun place to visit for a pizza and a pint ever since lockdown, so I was glad to see that their legacy has not come to an abrupt end.

Oscars Lockdown Pizza had a cult following in Cambridge, and I know many regulars will be worried about whether Carmen’s can maintain that same high bar. Rest assured, former Oscar’s manager Guillo is now running the show, bringing a wealth of experience both with pizza and as a trained chef. Having been intimately involved in the daily operation, he picked up plenty of tricks from Oscar himself, so a steady hand is at the wheel. You can expect plenty of familiar touches – including that same light, digestible Biga dough and a direct menu tribute to where it all started. Where Carmen’s really branches off to find its own identity, though, is with its unique Latin-American influence and Mediterranean touch, adding his own cultural zing to the pizza.

Ordering

The ordering process at The Blue Moon is seamless: just scan the QR code at your table, order your food, and service is remarkably quick. However, if you are sitting outside, make sure to request napkins when you order or when they bring the food out. They don’t bring them out automatically to the outdoor tables and I couldn’t be bothered to walk back inside, so was left sitting there with doughy, greasy hands! Prices seem fair and all pizzas (other than the 4 cheese) can be made vegan, but unfortunately gluten free cannot be accommodated.

Carman’s Pizza

I opted for their signature Carmen pizza, built on a fresh pesto base with mozzarella, bacon, cherry tomatoes, and smoked ricotta. The quality of the ingredients is top-tier, with the pesto being especially fresh and flavourful. With tomato bases being so common, it was such a refreshing change and it truly worked.

The base was almost identical to Oscar’s – light, airy, and with those same little black charred spots. It has always been a dough I’ve loved, as it never leaves you feeling overly heavy, and it has a lovely softness that makes it perfect for mopping up house-made sauces or wiping up the extra burrata. Speaking of which, ordering a whole burrata on top as the crowning jewel of the pizza was a brilliant touch. A fiver felt a little steep, but using it to dip the crusts into added a fantastic extra dimension to the meal and is something I’d definitely recommend. The bacon was fantastic and didn’t dominate the flavour like you find at other pizza joints. Instead, it was a lesson in subtlety, working with the other ingredients to create a taste far greater than the sum of its parts.

Catalan Cream

To finish, I tried the Catalan Cream. Made from oat milk and vanilla, this modest Spanish-style dessert was silky smooth and offered a lovely, delicate sign-off to the meal. Do not expect bold and punchy flavour but a more gentle, refreshing end to your meal.

Three Blind Mice brewery

Of course, no visit to The Blue Moon is complete without taking advantage of the bar. It easily has one of the best beer selections in the city – offering virtually everything you can possibly think of – and remains one of my absolute favourite pubs (which I’ve covered in detail before). I grabbed myself a lovely NEPA from Ely-based Three Blind Mice Brewery, which was me sorted for the evening – what a combination!

The team at Carmen’s has managed to create something as exciting as Oscar’s Lockdown Pizza without it feeling like a direct imitation. Guillo has shown great respect to Oscar while making the space his own, bringing not just fresh ideas to the table, but a genuine piece of his own heritage. If you are looking for top-tier pizza in one of the city’s best local pubs, get yourself down to Norfolk Street and give them a go.

But where should it go in my Cambridge pizza league table?