London Leytonstone Restaurant Guide

“Reliably excellent pizza” – “better than the other high street chains” – is what you’ll find at this growing Clapton-based operation, now with 12 sites from Balham and Crystal Palace in the south to Tufnell Park (which, as of summer 2024, is the latest to open). They’re perhaps “not smart as places to eat”, but that hardly matters – and the “toppings are interesting without being off-puttingly un-pizza-ish”.

Energetic outside signage, a no-less-colourful graffitied interior, and a soundtrack of pumping hip hop help set up an impactful experience at this year-old taqueria in the middle of Leytonstone, brought to us all by owner and head chef, ‘Smokey’. There’s no cutlery for the excellent tacos, which come in about 10 different varieties – you are invited to ‘get messy’!