Santa Maria takes Chelsea

How do you solve a problem like Maria?

George Costanza (Seinfeld episode “The Phone Message”)

If you like pizza you have to go to Santa Maria period. It’s by far the best pizzeria in London I have tried. Authentic Neapolitan pizza, ready within 10 minutes of ordering, and great service.

Pizza Time

I had the chance to visit their second place in Chelsea, and I was over the moon to corroborate they have not drop down the quality of their pizzas or the service.

I don’t need to say anything else, other that if you’re around go and try one of their delicious authentic pizzas.

Santa Maria

T: 020 7384 2844

Pizzeria

Approx Damage: £20pp

Area: Chelsea

Borough: Kensington & Chelsea

Twitter: SantaMariaPizza

---

---

Italian Tapas in Victoria

Venetian Blinds

George Costanza (Seinfeld episode “The Red Dot”)

A couple weeks back I went to TOZI an Italian tapas restaurant in Victoria. Venetian concept with modern look, great service, and interesting menu. We went for a bit of everything in the menu, a couple woodoven pizzettas and a piadina, then we move for some fritti starters, and finished with pasta and some grilled & baked meats.

Black Truffle Time

Probably not the first Venetian Italian tapas, but TOZI gives great execution, and classical Italian flavours specially the buffalo ricotta ravioli with black truffle. Recommended if you're near by the area, like they say in Venetian Cin Cin and Bon Apetito!

TOZI

T: 020 7769 9771

Italian Cuisine

Approx Damage: £40pp

Area: Victoria

Borough: City of Westminster

Twitter: ToziRestaurant

---

---

Arrivederci Zucca [Closed]

Yeah! Like Bizarro Superman. Superman's exact opposite, who lives in the backwards bizarro world. Up is down, down is up, he says hello when he leaves, goodbye when he arrives

Jerry Seinfeld (Seinfeld episode “The Bizarro Jerry”)

Recently it was announced that Zucca will be closing down for good on 23 December. So immediately I made a booking to try once more chef Sam Harris cuisine.

Truffle Time

Food was nice and well execute it. The pork belly with anchovies and puntarelle was amazing, same as the classic vitello tonnato, follow it by the special white truffle pasta and an outstanding slow braised ox cheek with yellow polenta and borettane to close the evening.

Ox Cheek

Food was great and service good, hurry up and book your table before they close in December

Zucca

T: 020 7378 6809

Italian Restaurant

Approx Damage: £50pp

Area: Bermondsey

Borough: Southwark

Twitter: ZuccaBermondsey

---

---

Another Pizza Place in Chiswick

So let me ask you a question about the tip jar. I had a little thing with the calzone guy this week . I go to drop a buck in the tip jar and just as I am about to drop it in he looks the other way. And then when I am leaving he gives me this look think thanks for nothing. I mean if they don't notice it what's the point

George Costanza (Seinfeld episode “The Calzone”)

I’m still exploring all the food options in Chiswick. My last stop was a small authentic Italian restaurant called Tarantella. Opened by three Italian chefs, Giuseppe, Francesco, and Domenico. The place is usually fully booked, so one day for a late lunch we saw our opportunity. 

Tarantella

We got the Tarantella gnocchi and Tarantella explosiva half calzone half pizza. Pizza was ok, the calzone part with the nduja was superb, even thought that in some parts of the calzone was only dough with no filling. I will suggest cut from the middle so the nduja juices will drip all over the plate and then you can moist your pizza bread pieces into them. Pasta was traditional and with good spiciness as they use the same spicy nduja for the sauce.

Pizza time

Gnocchi

Nice option, be aware as it's a small place so book in advance.

Tarantella

T: 020 8987 8877

Italian Cuisine / Pizzeria

Approx Damage: £20pp

Area: Chiswick

Borough: Hounslow

---

---

An Italian Feast

Venetian Blinds

George Costanza (Seinfeld episode “The Red Dot”)

I love Italian cuisine and there was a place in Richmond I was quite keen to visit. Al Boccon Di'Vino opened by Riccardo Grigolo originally from Venice. His place a small, cozy, with great atmosphere Venetian place. The decor based on Modigliani replicas, wine boxes, David, and the Leaning Tower will make you feel like you're in a countryside Italian homemade food restaurant. No menu policy, so you will eat what Riccardo prepared for that day, basically they come with the pan in hand and serve your food into your plate. Also no wine list, if you want wine you will get the house wine, which was quite nice by the way.

Parmigiana

We sat around 7ish and didn’t end until 11. A real Italian feast serving 11 small dishes. During our visit we got Parma ham with melon, a tomato bruschetta, peppers and grilled aubergine, aubergine parmigiana with meatballs, beef carpaccio, an amazing scallops on the shell and shrimp (the shrimp sauce was outstanding), two plates of pasta including penne arrabbiata with great heat, and a ravioli with goat cheese and a touch of mint and chocolate, then a hog that was divided and shared with every table, and at the end some chocolates and panna cotta. Just before leaving they offered an espresso and limoncello to end our fantastic evening. 

Pasta Time

Sharp flavours and aggressive seasoning I just love it. One of the best Italian restaurants in town. Just be aware that it takes 4 hours to get through the dinner, also the pace is not the best one, but in my opinion is worth the hassle, just relax and enjoy the food.

Al Boccon Di'Vino

T: 020 8940 9060

Italian Cuisine

Approx Damage: £60pp

Area: Richmond

Borough: Richmond Upon Thames

Twitter: alboccondivino

---

---

Exmouth Pizza Time

It's a pizza place where you make your own pie! We give you the dough, the sauce, the cheese, you pound it, slap it, you flip it up into the air, you put your toppings on, and you slide it into the oven! Sounds good, huh?

Cosmo Kramer (Seinfeld episodes “The Couch”)

The other day we were nearby of Exmouth market and decided to get a pizza in Santore. A busy Italian place, noisy, fast pace, and serving terrific wood oven fired pizzas.

Pizza Time

To change for a while I got a Panuozzi Estate, classic combination mozzarella, fresh chopped tomatoes, and Parma ham. But also tried the pizza capricciosa. The pizza was really lovely, great crust, and nice flavours. The panuozzo is like a pizza without the tomato sauce. A wood fired sandwich originated in Gragnano Campania, bread made on the pizza oven and then filled with fresh ingredients. A great discovery, nice flavours, no fuss but correct execution.

Panuozzi

Quality ingredients brought from Naples, friendly and good service, lovely Italian rustic non-pretentious food, and huge portions including pizzas al metro. Another great Neapolitan pizza place in London.

Santore

T: 020 7812 1488

Italian Cuisine / Pizzeria

Approx Damage: £18pp

Area: Clerkenwell

Borough: Islington

---

---

A Favorite Pizza [On The Road: Edinburgh]

I'll tell you something. It'll be years before they find places to hide more cheese on a pizza

Elaine Benes (Seinfeld episode “The Nap”)

Part of the Vittoria group La Favorita is a modern eatery with some Italian touches, considered the best pizza in Edinburgh, several awards including AA one rosette, a lovely wood fired oven and even they offer pizza delivery.

For starter we got panzerotti, really nice, the mushroom sauce was brilliant, a bit different of what I was expecting as it was more similar to a ravioli rather than the classic Pugliese panzerotti I have had in the past.

The weird panzerotti

For main I had to have the pizza, and the one that took my eye was the Giro d Italia, really nice to have different flavours in each slide, nice crust, good flavours, good combination with regional hams and cheeses changing in each slice, and huge size.

The huge pizza

Great food, nice service, and huge portions. If you're craving for a pizza in Edinburgh La Favorita is the place to go.

La Favorita

T: 0131 554 2430

Pizzeria / Italian Cuisine

Approx Damage: £25pp

Area: Leith

Edinburgh

Twitter: LaFavoritaEd

---

---

Ealing has a Pizza Heaven

These are Cubans. Maria, poquendo los cientos dientes con gleam 

Cosmo Kramer (Seinfeld episode “The Bubble Boy”) 

I wanted to visit Santa Maria for a long time. So now that I moved to Chiswick and Ealing is just a short commute it was a no brainer. Small pizzeria with rustic décor, wood fired oven brought from Italy, and a promise of authentic Neapolitan flavours and unique recipe as you will find in the street of Naples. 

Pizza Time

I could have ordered every pizza in the menu but at the end I went for Santa Caterina. Really nice pizza, perfect execution, traditional flavours, nice crust, good size, great spiciness from the chilli and the Neapolitan salame. Don’t ask me how but the pizza was also quite fast, we got our pizzas in no more than 5 min from ordering, probably has to do with the Italian oven. 

Highly recommended, great traditional Neapolitan pizza in no time!

Santa Maria

T: 020 8579 1462

Pizzeria / Italian Cuisine
Approx Damage: £13pp
Area: Ealing
Borough: Ealing
Twitter: SantaMariaPizza

---

---

Florence Knight is Back

You know my last name is Costanza. That's Italian, so you and I are like country men Pisano's

George Costanza (Seinfeld episode “The Calzone”)

Probably one of the most anticipated openings or in this case re-opening was Polpetto. Yes Russell Norman and Richard Beatty little sister of Polpo. So finally I had the chance to give them a visit. Bigger than the original place, with 60 seats, eating bar, open kitchen, chef‘s table, and a menu under the control of chef Florence Knight.

The bar

We got a good selection from their menu, including and amazing Burrata with the agretti and chilli. Then we got scallops perfectly cooked in a cauliflower puree and with lardo to give some saltiness to the dish, really lovely. Then a beef shin ragu pasta that was impeccable, this was the highlight of the day, rustic, home made style, the perfect comfort food, beef tender, flavour spot on, and pasta al dente. Finally we got some chicken oysters, nicely done, good balance and crispiness in the dish. 

Beef Shin

Chicken Oysters

The food was flawless, nice flavours and unpretentious. Definitely coming back!

Polpetto

T: 020 7439 8627

Italian Cuisine

Approx Damage: £31pp

Area: Soho

Borough: City of Westminster

Twitter: polpettoW1

---

---

Richmond Award Winning Pizza

So are you telling me there's not one house to rent in all of Tuscany?

Jerry Seinfeld (Seinfeld episode “The Maestro”)

The other day I was in Richmond and saw this award winning pizzeria. Pizzeria Rustica is an independent unpretentious Italian restaurant opened in 1996, Italian service, pizza, and Italian beers and wine.

Add caption

They have a good selection of pizzas, we got a calabrese and the award winning 2007. Both were decent, crunchy dough, fresh ingredients, rustic presentation, ok flavours, my favourite was the calabrese, the salame with the fresh mozzarella was really nice. Definitely not the best pizza in London but a decent one, good stop if you're hungry and want to avoid the pizza chains.

Pizza time

Pizzeria Rustica

T: 020 8332 6262

Italian Restaurant

Approx Damage: £16pp

Area: Richmond

Borough: Richmond

---

---