Restaurants – Pizza Pilgrims
Words: Violet
Pizza Pilgrims just might serve the best pizza this side of Naples. Set up by brothers Thom and James Elliot, its premise is simple – to find out just what exactly makes a really excellent pizza, and then improve on it. It’s not a conventional story. Over a few beers, they decided that having ‘real’ jobs just wasn’t for them. So, they went on a pilgrimage armed with a map of Italy and a red pen to find the best pizzas in the world. There, they came to Naples – the home of the pizza, the place where it all began. They met friendly Italian grandfathers, ate in the backstreets and sampled some of the finest pizzas the world has to offer.
Then they came back and set up Pizza Pilgrims in 2011.They’ve been making and selling delicious pizzas for a while – but, until now, it was all from the back of a three-wheeled van which toured the country but was mostly parked on Berwick Street in Soho. Fans had to track down the van, or else buy the cookbook Recipes From The Backstreets of Italy.
Now all of that has changed, and Tuesday night saw the raucous launch party for their new home – at 11 Dean Street, in Soho. The event was packed with the great and the good – journalists, gourmets and plain old celebs. It seemed as though all of London was there, spilling out onto the pavement and enjoying pizza by the slice and some delicious prosecco cocktails.
So, you might be asking, what’s the pizza actually like? The answer can be summed up in one word: glorious. Piping, finger-burningly hot, with a rich passata and a thin crust providing the base for a variety of flavours, it reminded us why we love this food. The margherita was as good as we’ve ever had, while a portobello mushroom and smoked garlic oil number was mouth-wateringly moreish. Seriously, you need this restaurant in your life.
For more information visit pizzapilgrims.co.uk
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