Pizza is an all-encompassing meal and a truly culinary gift from Italy. Each country has taken this dish and made it its own, with some parts of the world even developing their own styles. Of course, London is not to be outdone in its own share of pizza restaurants. The style offerings trend more towards the Neapolitan; the toppings can be quite different than what you’ll find on the continent. We’ve identified ten different pizza places we think you should try in London. One place you won’t find on this list is Pizza Express. Let us know your favorites in the comments.
L’Antica Pizzeria
Those looking for some authentic Neapolitan pizza in North London can try L’Antica, which was one of the first pizzerias of this style to set up shop in this part of the city. The owners import a lot of their ingredients from Naples for that extra bit of authenticity, such as using real Caputo flour. Perhaps owing to its desire for authenticity, the pizzeria doesn’t stray too far from using traditional ingredients from Italy, but you really don’t want it any other way if you’re looking for the closet thing outside of Naples.
Pizza Pilgrims
Starting out as a van with a pizza oven in the back, Pizza Pilgrims now has a few locations throughout the city. The pizzeria was started by two brothers who wanted to ditch their “proper jobs” and follow their dreams. While inspired by their trip to Italy, Pizza Pilgrims’ style of Neapolitan pizza gets more experimental than other pizzerias on this list, including chestnut mushrooms, chili-infused honey, and aubergines (eggplants). You can also personalize your pizza how you want or order some pretty unique crust dippers such as white truffle, pesto aioli, and nduja (an Italian spicy pork spread).
Sodo Pizza Café
If you’re looking for something a bit different than your crust, Sodo Pizza Café is willing to indulge you with their sourdough. The pizzeria ferments the dough for forty-eight hours before baking at 450 degrees to give it that perfect sour flavor. The toppings also get a little experimental with pickled courgette (zucchini), boquerones (a style of anchovy), and chimichurri sauce, amongst other things. They also have some of the cleverest names for their pizzas, from the Mary Poppins to the Captain Pugwash. Sodo Pizza Café also has about five locations throughout London, so there’s a good chance that there will be one near you.
Santa Maria
Santa Maria is one of those pizzerias that’s on everyone’s list—so naturally, it’s here as well. This is with good reason, as it represents some of the best Neapolitan pizza you’ll find in London, a quality that may be due to the owners being from Naples. Just looking at the menu is bound to make your mouth water with ingredients that put a nice twist on the traditional Neapolitan pizza, including buffalo mozzarella and locally(ish) sourced North Yorkshire pork sausage. The owners are reportedly so serious about their pizza that they’ve turned away customers for only wanting a salad.
Pizza Union
Possibly the closest thing you’ll find to the crispy crust of a New York-style pizza will be at Pizza Union, though in truth, the pizzas here are more like those you’ll find in Rome. The flavors will also be closer to American tastes, with mushrooms, peppers, ham, bacon, chilis, and even pineapple. Pizza Union even has a BBQ pizza with chicken and onions for those who dare. Of course, being Roman style, there’s also a significant number of Italian ingredients, from mascarpone cheese to nduja sausage. With a mixture of Roman and American, Pizza Union really is the best of both worlds.
Author: John Rabon
John is a regular writer for Anglotopia and its sister websites. He is currently engaged in finding a way to move books slightly to the left without the embarrassment of being walked in on by Eddie Izzard. For any comments, questions, or complaints, please contact the Lord Mayor of London, Boris Johnson's haircut.