Legendary Philadelphia pizzaiolo Joe Beddia has joined forces with Ed McElroy of Four Legs – the team behind north London pub The Plimsoll pub and fish bar Tollingtons – to open Bar Etna in Newington Green.
The founders say Bar Etna “will blend the spirit of New York and Philadelphia pizza culture with the ease of an Italian neighbourhood bar”.
Joe (pictured) started out making 40 pizzas a day at his standing-room-only Pizzeria Beddia in Philadelphia’s Fishtown 13 years ago. Two years later it was crowned the No 1 pizza bar in the US by Bon Appétit, leading to a move into expanded premises.
Ahead of opening this week, Joe said: “I’ve always wanted to do something outside of the US, but it had to be the right place. London’s been at the top of my list for a long time – the quality of the produce, the people and the food scene all make it feel like a natural fit, and doing it alongside Ed and the Four Legs team makes it even more exciting.”
Ed added: “We wanted Bar Etna to feel like a proper neighbourhood spot. It’s not just about pizza – it’s about creating a place people can drop into whenever.”
Bar Etna features a ground-floor bar area and an upstairs dining room that seats up to 40 guests. The Italian-American inspired menu centres on 14-inch thin-crust pizzas, while drinks include spritzes, negronis on tap and low-intervention wines.
