It’s universally known that London is full of Italian people and well.. Italian restaurants and pizzerias which are pretty much everywhere!
To be completely honest, I would be lying if I said I do not base part of my trust in people depending on their taste in pizza.
I will now list a few pizzerias that really amazed me and made a lasting impression in my pizza-loving belly… so far!
Bianco43 is a small traditional Italian restaurant located in Cutty Sark (Greenwich). They do have another restaurant in a different area, but I just love this one due to its location and vibe. (I do love Greenwich).
They do more than just pizzas, but trust me they’re so good you may want to order them all!
Their classic pizzas are delicious, and I would usually go for my all-time favourite DOP (Buffalo mozzarella, cherry tomato and basil), however their signature pizzas (Gourmet Pizzas) are mouth watering delicacies that you should not miss out on! I sincerely recommend the Tricolore (red datterino tomato, smoked cheese mozzarella and basil pesto) or Burrata & Mortadella (creamy fresh cow burrata, mortadella, pistacchio, lemon zest and mozzarella).
They also offer a few vegan options as well.
YUM!
Santa Maria Pizzeria Fitzrovia in Marylebone
Santa Maria has different branches, but this is definitely my favourite!
It’s quite small and if busy you may have to wait in line for a bit, I would definitely recommend to either book or come in a bit early and put your name in and go around for a quick pint while waiting, especially during weekends.
A traditional Neapolitan pizzeria, their pizzas are quite delicious, offering a range of incredible original and seasonal pizzas that may leave you breathless (due to the trousers getting too tight from all the food you had, ha!)
My favourites are San Mattia (Buffalo mozzarella DOP, mushrooms, truffle oil and parmesan
shavings) and San Rocco (Tomato sauce, burrata pugliese, pecorino romano DOP, roasted
aubergines and wild rocket), but any of them would surely satisfy your pizza needs. They offer quite a good range of vegan options as well.
Don’t forget to try their beer, it’s pretty good!
Homeslice Neal’s Yard in Covent Garden
Despite not being a typical Italian pizzeria, somehow their pizzas can really lighten up your mood!
They have several locations, however this one is by far the best I’ve been to.
It can be a bit crowded, and you’ll possibly have to share a table with a few strangers, but that’s part of the charm of Homeslice, huge pizzas (they’re 20″) and warmth.
You can ask to buy just a slice, but getting a huge 20″ pizza – which can be ordered half and half if you wish to try more than one type – and having to cut it yourself definitely has its appeal.
They don’t have a great range of pizzas, but they’re quite inventive and original.
I would recommend to get a 20″ pizza to be split half Margherita (oldie but goldie) and half with Mushroom, ricotta, pumpkin seeds, chilly flakes, chives and soy truffle glaze.
They do have only one vegan option (vegan Margherita).
ADDITIONAL TIP: great location for a first date!
Although a bit more pricey and glamorous, this Sicilian trattoria is one of the best places to eat in London.
Their menu and wine selection are astounding (it’s a great choice for a weekend brunch as well), but their Neapolitan-style pizzas are really something else!
If you wish you can order a ‘pizza al metro’, which would be two types of pizza made into one big pizza to share.
My favourite ones are Truffle Shuffle (fresh black truffle, truffle sauce, provola cheese, egg and chives) and Burrata Mania (yellow marinara, capers, courgette flowers, smoky stracciatella).
Since I’m not really a wine person (I know right?), I would definitely recommend to my fellow wine non-drinkers to get one of their delicious cocktails, especially their Summertime Mojito or Garibaldi Spritz. They do offer non-alcoholic cocktails as well.
To end the meal on a perfect note, try any of their amazing desserts, in particular the Pistacchio di Bronte gelato, the vegan Coconuts for the Strawberry, or Will you Murray me?.
Even though it’s a relatively new restaurant (2016), Zia Lucia already has a few branches around London, but I personally prefer the Islington one.
Zia Lucia’s fame comes from their unique speciality of offering four different types of 48-hour slow fermented dough for their pizzas:
Vegetable Charcoal, Gluten-Free, Wholemeal and Traditional.
As it’s slowly fermented for such a long time, the dough is so light you’ll be able to eat it all in one bite!
My favourites are Margherita with Buffalo Mozzarella (tomato, fiordilatte mozzarella, basil, buffalo mozzarella) and Burrata & Roasted Peppers (tomato, mozzarella, fresh burrata, roasted peppers).
These are only a few of the many pizzerias that I love, but definitely the ones I reckon are worth going to at least once!
Have fun and feel free to provide other suggestions, and most importantly..
Buon appetito!
