Pepe's Pizza Parlour on High Street in Boulcott, Lower Hutt, has been handcrafting delicious pizza for the whole family since 1976. Over more than 45 years it has built a reputation across the Hutt Valley and the Wellington region for handcrafted gourmet pizzas, and it's the rare local spot where customers who came in as children now bring along their own kids to enjoy the same pizzas they had growing up.
Every pizza starts with dough that's freshly rolled and tossed, then cooked to perfection in the parlour's unique stone oven. Only the finest ingredients make it onto the pizza, paired with classic techniques that deliver the authentic taste of Italy — the kitchen spares no expense to get there.
The experience is relaxed and family-friendly: dine-in for up to 30 people, takeaways always available through in-store pickup, online ordering, and delivery through Deliver Easy. Large group bookings and catering are welcome, and Pepe's is licensed for BYO, so you can enjoy a glass of wine with your pizza. Customers who don't eat meat, chicken or eggs are taken care of with special knives, boards and toppings — just mention it while ordering.
Step into Pepe's Pizza Parlour on High Street in Boulcott, Lower Hutt, and you're stepping into a local institution. Pepe's has been handcrafting delicious pizza for the whole family since 1976, and more than 45 years on it has built a firm reputation across the Hutt Valley and the wider Wellington region for handcrafted gourmet pizzas. For many locals, pizza night has simply always meant Pepe's — customers who first came in as children now bring along their own kids to enjoy the very same pizzas they grew up with.
There are no shortcuts in the Pepe's kitchen. Every pizza starts with dough that is freshly rolled and tossed by hand, then cooked to perfection in the parlour's unique stone oven. Only the finest ingredients make the cut, combined with classic techniques that deliver what the team calls the authentic taste of Italy — and they spare no expense to get there. Four and a half decades of experience stand behind every order, and longtime customers say the quality and taste have remained high through the years.
The menu keeps things simple and generous. Standard pizzas cover the classic combinations that Hutt Valley families have ordered for decades, while the gourmet range steps things up: gourmet meat pizzas loaded with quality toppings, and gourmet chicken pizzas for those who prefer their slice poultry-topped. Vegetarians are looked after too, with a veggie pizza among the offerings. And if you've saved room, the kitchen turns out dessert calzones — billed on the site simply as 'delicious dessert'.
Pepe's works around whatever kind of night you're planning. The dining room seats up to 30 people, making it an easy fit for family dinners and celebrations, and reviewers regularly single out the atmosphere and hospitality — one Google review makes a point of how warmly little kids are made to feel. Takeaways are always available through in-store pickup, the online ordering platform makes it a convenient and easy experience, and if you'd rather stay home Pepe's delivers through Deliver Easy. Large group bookings are welcome as well: head to the bookings page and let Pepe's cater your next event.
The proof is in the reviews. One customer who has been buying Pepe's pizzas since the mid-1990s — through several changes of ownership — reckons they make the best pizzas he has ever eaten and rates the place AAA+. Another visitor describes 'classy and tasty pizzas' and staff who made 'the best food ever', while a third praises the quick, high-quality spread laid on for a large group. Phrases like 'lovely people' and 'great atmosphere' come up again and again, which is exactly what you want from a neighbourhood pizza parlour.
One of Pepe's quiet pleasures is that it's licensed for BYO, so you can enjoy a glass of wine alongside your stone-oven pizza. It's a small touch that has helped make the parlour a fixture for birthdays, family catch-ups and end-of-week dinners.
Pepe's takes special care of customers who don't eat meat, chicken or eggs. Those orders are prepared with dedicated knives, boards and toppings, so there's no cross-over in the kitchen — just mention your requirements while ordering. It's the kind of detail that explains why families keep coming back generation after generation.
Pepe's Pizza Parlour is at 731 High Street, Boulcott, Lower Hutt 5010, and opens Monday to Sunday from 5 pm to 9 pm. Call 04 939 1810 or email [email protected] to book a table or arrange catering. Whether it's a midweek takeaway, a relaxed family dinner or a big group celebration, you'll be eating pizza made the same way it has been since 1976 — by hand, in the stone oven, for the whole family.