Best Pizza in London?

Da Portare Via was my favourite Pizza place in Amsterdam when I lived there and I was not the only fan.  My Italian friend Maria, who is now living in London as well, was also a fan of the very thin and light pizzas which are probably the healthiest but also tastiest pizzas outside of Italy.  

So when we both moved to London it was important for us to seek out the new best pizza place which has kept us very busy (and full).  There have been a few good Neopolitan pizza places including the following places that Maria and I have tried together:

Rossopomodoro - there are 3 restaurants in the chain and their pizzas are simple but a bit heavier than others

Donna Margherita - a nice local Italian restaurant in Battersea whose pizzas are a bit lighter but simple

Pizzeria Pappagone - near Finsbury Park, another nice local restaurant whose pizzas are also very good.  Out of the places I've tried, this is probably rated as second best for me (and may even warrant it's own post later).

However my favourite is Pizza Metro Pizza, recommended to me by Anna, an Italian colleague who raved on about the place and for good reason.  Pizza Metro Pizza serves meter long pizzas which are really good to share - everyone orders  their own pizza but it comes in meter long lengths that you can cut up yourself.  The pizza base is thin but doughy enough and the toppings are really good.  I have been a couple of times and enjoyed all the pizzas I have tried such as Bufalina which has big balls of buffalo mozarella with basil and tomato.  Portobello topped which mushrooms, rocket and truffle oil and cheese is tasty and not too heavy.  And PizzaMetroPizza is also a winner with meatballs and aubergine.  Also worth mentioning are the Mozzarelline Fritte which are fried balls of mozarella served as a starter - how could you go wrong with fried, chewy cheese?

Bufalina - one meter of mozarella heaven

Pizza Metro Pizza is recommended if you're after a good pizza in a nice relaxed environment.  Service is friendly and welcoming (like most Italian places) and if you really want to splash out and make a night of it, the restaurant and I recommend a bottle of the Taurasi Radici red wine; at £40 a bottle, it may feel a little pricey for a pizza night but it sure goes well.

Portobello - the original Battersea Rise restaurant - Pizza Metro Pizza

If you have any suggestions for pizza places, drop a comment on this blog.  My friend Maria has suggested that Piccolino in Heddon St could have a shot at the top spot but for now, Pizza Metro Pizza is number one for me.


What:  Meter long pizzas at Pizza Metro Pizza
Where:  64 Battersea Rise, Battersea SW11 1EQ, or Notting Hill also.
How much:  Pizzas from £8.50 - £12.50
Special thanks to Dave and Jack for encouraging me to improve my posts (and for their actual help) - hope you like this one!

GPO Wood Fired Pizza

Mmm pizza. Especially the thin and crispy wood fired kind at GPO. It's crazy busy if you go there for lunch on a weekday but on a non-Friday weeknight it's not as hectic. I ordered 3 takeaway pizzas from there on a Wednesday night at about 8pm or so. They said it would take 10min and indeed they rang me after 10min to tell me it was ready. The drive home was torture because it smelt so good! And naturally it wasn't as crispy after travelling in a cardboard box but it was still dang good pizza. With an uber thin crust and generous amounts of fresh toppings in great combinations, there's a lot to like. And because the crust is so thin, it's not too heavy. We ordered 3 small pizzas (20cm), the Patate, Salsiccia and Ortolana. The Patate (Bianca Base with Shaved Potatoes, Rosemary, Sea Salt & Olive Oil) had the right amount of saltiness and the potato slices were nice and soft. Salsiccia (Tomato Base, Mozzarella, Italian Sausage Mince, Mushroom & Spinach) was a really nice mix of meat and vegies and Ortolana (Tomato Base with Mozzarella, Eggplant, Zucchini & Mushroom) has a very generous amount of topping which I personally like - it's disappointing to order say a mushroom pizza and only find a scattering of mushrooms on there. And no, I did not eat all 3 pizzas by myself!


Meet my three friends - Patate, Salsiccia and Ortolana.

What: GPO Wood Fired Pizza (see menu)
Where: Lower Ground Floor, GPO Sydney, No. 1 Martin Place.
How much: $40.90 for the 3 pizzas we ordered.