Thankfully, the city’s pizza scene is now broad enough to cater to every persuasion: fiercely traditional Neapolitan purists, deep-crust devotees and those who believe there is always room for a little experimentation. These, then, are the pizza spots we return to time and again.
Crust Bros
This mini-group now has three establishments dotted across the city, but we popped into the Waterloo branch early on a Friday evening, where it was already filling up with pre-show diners eager to grab one of London’s best pizzas before heading off to the theatre. What sets Crust Bros apart is that it offers something slightly different from the norm.
After a few snackable starters – including excellent bruschetta and mozzarella-and-tomato skewers – come thick-crusted Neapolitan pizzas that can either be fully customised or ordered from a roster of inventive house specials, including a regularly changing monthly option.
We were big fans of everything from the children’s pizza – topped with ham and olives – to the collaboration with Mexican restaurant Cavita: a suitably indulgent birria beef pizza with just the right level of spice and an accompanying dipping gravy for the crusts. If you are feeling ambitious, you can customise almost everything, from the base itself (the pesto-topped ‘green’ base is particularly good) to cheeses, vegetables and proteins. Gorgonzola, sausage, marinated tomatoes and countless other combinations are all available: as they proudly put it, ‘your pizza, your way’.
Puddings cleave stick to the classics. There is an excellent tiramisu, a well-chosen range of gelato and, for those still somehow hungry, a gloriously over-the-top Nutella pizza. The drinks list is equally thoughtful. On a warm evening, the lavender lemonade and kiwi lemon soda felt especially refreshing. Yes, calling it ‘upper crust’ would be an appalling pun, but that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t make it.
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And The Best Of The Rest
Santa Maria
This much-loved small group specialises in authentic Neapolitan pizzas done simply and very well. Originally founded in Ealing, Santa Maria can now be found in Paddington, Kew, Islington, Fitzrovia and Fulham too. There is also an excellent-value lunch set menu, with a pizza and drink offered at a surprisingly reasonable price.
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L’Antica Pizzeria Da Michele
The London spin-off of Naples’s best-known and loved pizza joint – often cited as the world’s best – has kept it relatively simple, with only two locations: one in Soho and one in Baker Street. If you visit either, you’ll be sure to find pizzas that taste as if you’ve just headed over to Italy and that are so generously proportioned that they struggle to be contained on a plate. It’s reassuringly traditional, too; ask for a crust dipper and they’ll look at you as if you’re a barbarian. Quite right too.
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L’Antica Pizzeria
This long-established Hampstead favourite is no relation to the Naples restaurant but instead has proudly established itself as the connoisseur’s choice in a part of town that has always been woefully lacking in decent restaurants. However, like its namesake, it is a perennial fixture of ‘top 50 pizza places in the world’, and if you can get a table – no easy feat in the evenings – you’ll enjoy peerless old-school pizza.
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Rudy’s
This Northern-based group has now expanded all over the country to include pizzerias everywhere from Brighton and Cambridge to Bristol and Nottingham, but the quality remains sky-high, thanks to well-chosen menus at sensible prices, some delicious guest pizzas and a consistent sense of fun and friendly service. The best national pizza franchise, no question.
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FAQs
Where can you find the best pizza in London?
London now has excellent pizza across the city, but favourites include Crust Bros for creative toppings and customisable pies, Santa Maria for authentic Neapolitan pizza and L’Antica Pizzeria Da Michele for classic Naples-style pizza in Soho and Baker Street.
What is Neapolitan-style pizza?
Neapolitan pizza is characterised by a soft, airy dough with a charred crust, simple toppings and quick cooking in a very hot pizza oven. It traditionally originates from Naples and tends to focus on high-quality ingredients used sparingly.
Which London pizza restaurants are best for groups?
Crust Bros and Rudy’s are both particularly good for groups thanks to their relaxed atmosphere, broad menus and reasonable prices. Many locations also accommodate walk-ins.
Where should I go for pizza before the theatre in London?
Crust Bros Waterloo is an excellent pre-theatre option thanks to its speedy service and proximity to the South Bank and Waterloo theatres.
Which London pizza restaurants are best for traditional Italian pizza?
For a more traditional experience, Santa Maria and L’Antica Pizzeria Da Michele are both excellent choices, focusing on classic Naples-style pizzas with minimal, high-quality toppings.
