Pizza Pilgrims, London
PIZZA PILGRIMS: COVENT GARDEN, LONDON
08/06/16
By Ellie
...WHY YOU SHOULD VISIT:
- Their delicious sourdough bases make their pizza stand out
- The understated but cute and authentic decor
- To taste their homemade Limoncello - careful you don't drink too much, hic!
- The side dishes are almost as good as the pizzas
Wandering out of London’s Leicester Square station onto Garrick Street, you are spoilt for choice with the range of enticing restaurants and bustling bars. Pizza Pilgrims is amongst these and with its bright green paintwork and eye-catching awning, it’s difficult to miss.
Brothers James and Thom started serving authentic Napoli-style pizzas from a van on the streets of London in 2011. Now a popular pizza haven, you will find Pizza Pilgrims dotted around Central London including restaurants in Soho, Clerkenwell and Aldgate and in May they opened their newest establishment in Covent Garden. Pizza Pilgrims brilliant reputation for authentic pizza hasn’t come from nothing – their delicious sourdough base sets their pizzas apart from ordinary pizzerias, giving the base a boost in flavour with a pleasant sour zing.
The décor inside Pizza Pilgrims is understated but perfectly fitting - the vinyl gingham tablecloths, old school chairs and white tiled walls are reminiscent of authentic cafés in Naples, distinguished only by a somewhat more polished finish.
There is a wide selection of Italian cocktails on the menu, some of which feature their own Limoncello (made in partnership with Chase Distillery). However if you fancy something a little less sweet, the house lager Birra Moretti ‘Schooner’ is a refreshing choice, especially on a warm summer evening.
I decided to order the Nduja pizza, which is a favourite among frequenters of Pizza Pilgrims, and on tasting this, it’s a reputation that is quite rightly so! It was everything you could want from a pizza: deliciously greasy, spicy and crispy. The Nduja, (which our Italian waitress kindly reassured me she also struggled to pronounce!) had a sweet and spicy flavour without overpowering the tomato and mozzarella base.
For those who enjoy pizza with all the toppings, the Calzone Ripieno is a good choice, and we ordered one of these to try. The ricotta and peppery salami worked well together and it was finished off with a generous helping of Fior di Latte, their house mozzarella.
To compliment your pizza, Pizza Pilgrims offer a selection of side dishes packed full of flavour. The Buffalo Mozzarella and Smoked Tomato Salad was topped with a delicate oil dressing that melted in the mouth.
Written on a chalkboard above the kitchen was the Pizza Pilgrim moto: ‘In Crust We Trust.’ And I most certainly do!
Dotty Dishes was a guest of Pizza Pilgrims.
Pizza Pilgrims, 23 Garrick Street, London, WC2E 9BN
