Fitzrovia, Pizza Restaurant Guide

Hailed as among “the best Neapolitan pizzerias in town”, this Ealing-based chain has made slow but steady progress since its launch by Pasquale Chionchio and Angelo Ambrosio in 2010, with offshoots in Fitzrovia, Fulham Broadway, Brentford’s Duke of London pub and most recently Islington, on the former site of Baba Boom in Upper Street. The Ealing branch has moved to a new address nearby – “stylish, but not as fun as the original” – making way for a new vegan pizzeria, Vergine Maria, on the St Mary’s Road site (see also).

The involvement of a Netflix star (‘Chef’s Table’) – LA chef, Nancy Silverton – is the justification for including this new, July 2021 pizzeria (with ‘wild Mediterranean garden’ interior), just across the road from Broadcasting House. Her pizzas are, apparently, ‘famed for their unique dough recipe and well-structured crusts’ and you can round off with her own-brand ice cream: Nancy’s Fancy. It opened too late for survey feedback, but an early review from The Standard’s David Ellis was cautiously upbeat on the quality of the pizza: “I’ll need to wait and see but there might just be enough here to make Silverton a star this side of the pond, too”.

“Quality pizzas served by nice people in a bustling, energetic atmosphere. What’s not to like?” It’s a formula that’s winning massive, post-pandemic expansion for the Elliot brothers’ chain, which is adding eight London sites this year. Perhaps inevitably with such fast growth, it no longer enjoys the stellar ratings of yesteryear, but to an impressive degree also evades criticism: “always decent…”, “I can’t speak for the authenticity, but they’re tasty as hell”. Top Tip: “their pizza home delivery kit is great fun”.