I ate at one of Europe's top-50 pizza restaurants – and it's right here in Sussex

So give me pizza done perfectly and I’m in absolute heaven, which is how I found myself last weekend...

My family and I were invited to have a meal at Fatto a Mano in Brighton, off the back of the restaurant being named in the top-50 pizza restaurants in Europe.

The North Laine eatery came in at number 23 in a list of The 50 Best Pizzas in Europe as compiled by Big 7 Travel.

The list celebrates everything from world-famous Neapolitan institutions to hidden gems putting their own spin on Italy's most-loved dish.

And Fatto a Mano is certainly worthy of its spot. Everything is freshly made using high-quality imported Italian ingredients, and it really shows in the taste. The food is colourful, vibrant and appeals to all ages.

The pizzas are huge – made with soft, pillowy dough and cooked in a wood-fired oven, giving them that authentic flavour that isn’t always easy to come by.

We had lunch there on Saturday, and the restaurant was bustling. No great surprise, given it has a 4.6 rating out of 5 on Tripadvisor, making it the 47th most favourite restaurant out of 1,008 in Brighton.

Located on the corner of Kensington Gardens and Gloucester Road, it’s a great spot to watch the world go by. Space is at a premium, so be prepared to sit close to your neighbouring tables. We got chatting to the couple next to us, one of whom turned out to be one of the restaurant’s suppliers. He said he can never pass up an opportunity to eat at Fatto a Mano when they’re in town, which is always a good sign.

We all ordered a starter, and I was impressed at the portion size. We had ‘nduja lasagna fritta (£8.50), gnocchi Sorrentina (£9.50), bruschetta burrata (£9.50) and parmigiana di Melanzane (£9.50) – a hearty aubergine dish with bread to dip in.

We shared them around the table and everything was gorgeous, although if you forced me, I’d say the aubergines were my absolute favourite as they packed such a flavour punch.

We then had a whole pizza each, and delicious as they were, we all struggled to finish them. But that just meant we could bring some home for dinner which was a win in my eyes!

My children both went for a classic margherita (£11.50), which I thought was fairly priced for the size and quality, and they both deemed it one of the best ever pizzas they’d had.

I had the arrabbiata and burrata (£15) that had a little spicy kick and plenty of veg, and my husband went for the current special called La Ribelle (The Rebel). It’s the first time Fatto a Mano has had a pepperoni pizza, and they teamed up with Curing Rebels who provided the chilli pepperoni. Served with arrabbiata sauce, provolone cheese, mozzarella, candied chilli and basil, my husband thought it was incredible.

As soon as I knew that tiramisu (£7.50) was an option, I knew we had to squeeze in dessert. As expected, this coffee-based delight was wonderful, as was my husband’s panna cotta (£7). He loved the aftertaste from the lemon and strawberries.

My son some vanilla gelato (two scoops for £6), while my daughter’s Fattobon gelato sandwich (£8) – salted caramel gelato in a cookie sandwich – was declared ‘yummy’.

They make a mean Aperol spritz (39.50), and also have special drinks depending on the season. At the moment, you can get a queen negroni, made with olive oil-washed gin and Vesuvius tomato water.

My husband thought the Fatto bionda helles lager (£6 for two-thirds of a pint) was a delight.

The food and atmosphere made for a truly lovely meal, but the warm and friendly service tipped this into an exceptional experience.

Our server Laura was so kind and attentive. Nothing was too much trouble, and she made the whole meal feel really relaxed.

We’ll absolutely be back again, when I can’t wait to try even more of the stunning menu.

For more information, or to book a table, see https://www.fattoamanopizza.com/