It's the year 2015 and I've decided to swap a fetish (if you like) for burgers with pizza. I'm not sure why, but recently I've just had cravings for that round(ish), doughy, cheesy slice. Plus I think it may be healthier...that's what I'm telling myself anyway.
Here's my ongoing tour of pizzas/Italian food so far:
Homeslice, Old Street - so the Covent Garden branch is constantly with a queue so I was happy as Larry when they opened a bigger branch on Old Street. We were seated downstairs right by the stairs actually on a bit of a random bit of sofa and stool - I think it was the 'rustic' feel they were going for. The cocktails were pretty good I must admit, but the real deal is the 20 inch pizza. I had no clue how big 20 inches is but, it's pretty big. I was sharing between three people and I was full after two slices. You can have a half and half so we went for a broccoli (of course) and pepperoni. The base is really neapolitan style and they have different toppings - not just your average 'Hawaiians'. The price isn't too bad either. Overall, a great place to hang out with a group of friends. Old Street is definitely more accessible for those who prefer sitting for a while and catching up.
Pizza Union, Spitalfields (various locations) - I've been wanting to try this one for a while as the branch by King's Cross is always so busy, so it must be good? One of the 'trendy pizzas' to open this year, it's more of a casual, fast food sort of place. Having said that, there are enough seats for you to have a sit down meal for an hour and not feel rushed. I'm a big fan of wood-fire ovens, and the reason why it's so quick is that the bases are fresh, thin and crispy. It's probably not my favourite type of base, but it was great tasting all the same, and really cheap. We went for a bottle of prosecco, two pizzas and a pizza flatbread all for £31. I would definitely come here again for a quick meal if I'm ever around. The Spitalfields vibe was also great.
Pizza Locadeli -
Locanda Locatelli's pop up - This former post office in Angel/Islington is now home to pizza, but not for long. Catch it quick before it presumably pops back down.
I went for the Seaside pizza of swordfish, clams and prawns - admittedly this wasn't my first choice, as I find the combination of prawns and bread quite strange (prawn sandwiches? Eh?), but I was pleasantly surprised. The swordfish and squid rings were slightly overcooked as it was cooked underneath the wood fire oven underneath the cheese, but the prawns were cooked separately, and were deliciously succulent! The bread was also very light (gluten free also available). Overall, it was a great tasting pizza, I thought I was full half way through the pizza, but I ended up eating it all...and the crusts which were not too tough. I did think, however, it was slightly on the bland side as I had to add pepper and chilli oil (I usually make a point of not adding any condiments). The cocktails are also a hit. Can't wait to try out the actual restaurant now!
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| The Elderflower Martini. |
Rossopomodoro - I went to the one in Covent Garden, but there is one in Shoreditch (and elsewhere in London, obvs)
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| Authentic Neopolitan pizza |
OK, I've changed my mind - THIS pizza was amazing. The easiest one to eat, by far, with a knife and fork. The dough in the middle was doughy, not overly bready - just enough stretch but thin enough to still add texture to the overall pizza. The crust fluffed up perfectly and was easy to chew. There were so many options (not just pizza options) I wasn't sure which one to go for, so I went for the aubergine, courgette masterpiece. Surprisingly, I couldn't finish it, and it still tasted just as delicious reheated the next day!
They also have gluten free options available. The prices weren't too bad either - I would definitely come here again. Not sure if it was just the Covent Garden branch, but even on a Sunday evening the place was fairly busy and we had a 25 minute wait before being seated.
Pizza East - Shoreditch
The first time I came here it was New Years Day 2014 - it was one of the places that was gluten free friendly (for my visiting friend) and open. At around 12pm I decided to order a beef lasagne, I can't explain why I did that. It was probably the biggest, meatiest lasagne I had ever seen in my life. Needless to say I didn't get very far with it, which is a shame because I had been eyeing up Pizza East ever since I had moved nearby.
Come, October 2015, I'm determined to go for a pizza as I remember it looking delightful. And it didn't disappoint. I ordered the squash, pancetta and thyme pizza and it was exactly as it said on the tin. The most enjoyable was the dough - it was pretty special, even though I thought I had had enough of the crust, I kept going back, nibbling away until my plate was cleared. The only thing I would say was that it was slightly salty and this was when I was tasting the squash on its own, without the pancetta.
There were several pizzas I wanted to order as they sounded delicious - including the meatball one - I had a little taster - again it was slightly on the salty side, but I'm not put off. I would probably come here again. It's got a great atmosphere on a Saturday night and food was served relatively quickly.
Made of Dough - Pop Brixton
I think this may have been my favourite pizza yet. There's a great selection of food at Pop Brixton - 'the shipping containers place', but the Made in Dough pizza was excellent from the wood fire oven. Neapolitan inspired with a hint of Southern Spain, it was elastic, fresh bread, not soggy, and the most appetising topping you could wish for. We went for artichoke with a slight hint of rosemary and garlic oil and the Sobrasada, which is supposed to have Majorcan cured pork on it, but it was crumbled so thinly I didn't notice it, but I don't suppose it would have added much to it as the pizza itself was so fresh and light. I gobbled my share of it so quickly, it was gone before I had even finished my first drink. Prices are very reasonable and totally worth sitting out in the cold for. Would definitely visit this place again.
Pop Brixton also has a great bar selling great gins FYI.
I'm sure you've heard of this place already. It has blown up MAJOR style the past few months. I first heard of this unknown 'cafe' a year ago when an Italian man recommended this place to me. He was so enthusiastic about this place that I even got my phone out there and then, mid-conversation, to write the name of the place down. I never made it down but as the year went by another Italian person recommended it to me, and by this time my whole office was telling me I had to go. I did and didn't regret it. Having been reunited with the half Italian housemate - I took her there for her verdict, and she thoroughly enjoyed it. The sourdough makes such a huge difference. It was crispy on the bottom and edges, elastic and chewy but not soggy and really light. I felt as though I could eat another whole pizza. It has a quick turnover so don't be too discouraged by the queues - I went to the South Kensington branch around 6pm on a weekday which was perfect, it only started to get busy around 6:30pm. Food comes out quick and you may have to share a table, but for an amazing pizza and great price, who cares. I would definitely take everyone here.
I've been several times to various locations since the first review, and I have to admit that the other branches are not as good. I don't know whether it's that thing of 'expanding too quickly' or that it's just too popular now, but the pizza I had at the Broadgate/Liverpool Street branch was really disappointing. Service wasn't great, my pizza wasn't very hot on arrival and the bottom of the base was burnt and quite difficult to cut into, and chew. It's a shame, I really loved this place.
My local pizza place, this restaurant used to be a fire station and has kept the main look of the building. They measure the pizza size in yards (hence the name). A quarter yard is enough for one person, half a yard of pizza for the hungry one or a full yard to share (or not depending on your appetite). A pizza each and sharing two sides - it was great. The dough was thin and crispy- not quite sourdough a la Franco Manca style but if it's more Pizza Express base you're looking for this is the place (just to add that I am a fan of Pizza Express bases so this is not a bad thing). Of course it felt a bit more authentic than your average pizza, but at times when they are busy I've noticed the pizza tends to be overcooked. Special mention goes to the potato salad - seasoned perfectly - I could have just eaten this on its own. Also a tip - if you sign up for the newsletter you get sent monthly offers to use in the restaurant. Although, check the fine print - my voucher said I didn't need to print it off but the waiter insisted it had to be printed even when I showed him the fine print on my phone; and instead of 30% off we only received 20% discount. However, even at full price it wasn't too bad a total cost. I would still come here again.
Hit List:
Pizza Pilgrims
Pizza Buzz
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