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

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Franco Manca W4

Hey, speaking of tomato sauce, you want to come with me and George to Mario's Pizza?

Jerry Seinfeld (Seinfeld quotes “The Frogger”)

If you have read my blog before you probably know that I love Neapolitan pizza, and one of my favourite places to get it is Franco Manca. As mentioned previously I’m impress that even they have had a massive growth in the number of restaurants they have been quite successful retaining the authenticity and quality of the initial small place in Brixton.

Pizza time

I have been many times in their restaurant in Chiswick that I decided to write again about them. So a week ago I came back with the family to enjoy their pizzas. As usual spot on in flavours and service. Highly recommended.

Franco Manca

T: 020 8747 4822

Pizzeria

Approx Damage: £15pp

Area: Chiswick

Borough: Hounslow

Twitter: FrancoMancaPizz

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The Pizza Empire

Hmm! I love this artificial flavouring. I like it better than butter. I think it's more consistent

Jerry Seinfeld (Seinfeld episode “The Stall”)

I love to see how an independent place grows and stay focus to their quality and service. This is probably the case of Franco Manca. I still remember when you had to go to Brixton in order to get their pizzas, a small, cosy, and busy place in the middle of at that time not that popular market. These days the story is completely different, they have opened several new places across London, but the beauty is that their quality is almost the same as that little family owned place in Brixton.

Pizza Time

Yes it’s obvious when you are growing your business you will lose some of the quality and control you have, but in the case of the Franco Manca family they have kept it pretty tight. 17 places and counting as they will open their 18 restaurant in Wimbledon soon. If you want a nice Neapolitan pizza then don’t doubt to choose them, as I did a few days back when I bumped into their place in Covent Garden, same ambience, same menu, and same consistent delivery.

You can go for any of their classic pizzas or if adventurous enough then get their special as I did. Lovely pizza, good flavours, good service, probably their recipe for success Mamma Mia!

Franco Manca

Pizzeria

T: 0207 240 8309

Area: Covent Garden

Borough: City of Westminster

Twitter: FrancoMancaPizz

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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.

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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

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