Rocca
The Rocca we go to is located in Dulwich Village, but there is another branch in South Kensington. If you are searching for a restaurant with an authentic Italian feel, then Rocca is for you. The margheritas here taste exactly like the ones found in Naples itself. The tomato sauce takes the starring role, there's a lot of it compared to cheese and the consistency is wet and thick. The charred stone baked underside of the pizza really brought us back to Naples, and for that we think it deserves a very high rating. The atmosphere is lovely, with dim lighting and a relaxed vibe. It is family friendly and on Saturday night can get extremely busy. We were lucky to get seated without booking. In terms of price, it is such good value for money! A margherita costs £5.95, and it's a substantial size too.
Overall score: 9/10
PizzaStorm
We love PizzaStorm because it's in a perfect spot to go right after we've watched a movie at Cineworld in Wandsworth. The other two locations are Newcastle and Nottingham. Our top tip for this restaurant is to visit late at night, 30 minutes or so before it closes. The staff are extra friendly at this point! The atmosphere is also quiet at this time so we can actually hear one another speak. The USP of PizzaStorm is its 'Make your own pizza' initiative. You get a standard pizza base and then the member of staff serving you takes it along the work surface and asks you at different stations what sauce, cheese, veg toppings and meat you would like. All for a set price of £7.45. If you're not into the sound of that, you can get a basic margherita for the absurdly cheap price of £5.50.
Overall score: 9/10
Rossopomodoro
Rossopomodoro is a massive franchise that has branches all over the world, including Naples. There isn't much to say about this restaurant. It does the job, but it's not amazing. The margherita cost of £8.95 is too expensive for what you get, in our opinion.
Overall score: 5/10
Frankie and Benny's
There are few restaurants in the UK more famous than Frankie and Benny's and when you look at their margheritas, it's hard to see why. We get that Frankie and Benny's are more about the New York style burgers and chicken wings, but if they're going to sell pizza, they should think about improvements! Firstly, the pizzas are tiny! For £7.95 we should be getting more for our money. Secondly, the pizzas are a weird square shape. Quite honestly, they look like they belong in the frozen section of Iceland. And thirdly, most importantly of all, where is the flavour?
Overall score: 3/10
Osteria Dell'Arte
The decor and atmosphere of this small Italian restaurant based along Clapham High Street are what make it stand out. The walls are decorated with pieces of art from local artists that are all for sale. Art is something that is really nice to chat about over dinner. We love picking our favourite paintings out. The standard margherita is priced quite steeply at £8.50, however in this instance I would say it is worth the money. The quality is absolutely top notch, and when you consider the friendly staff, beautiful decor and relaxed feel, they can afford to charge a little more.
Overall score: 9/10
Pizza Express
This is a bit of a 'marmite' restaurant between me and Gianni. Personally, I think it's the most delicious pizza out there due to the inconceivably thin and crispy crust. On the other hand, Gianni thinks it tastes pretty ordinary and you get less for your money with it being so thin. The layout of the restaurant in Lavender Hill, Clapham, is fairly cramped and uncomfortable, and the price is £9.65 for a classic Margherita is by far the most expensive out of the selection so far.
Overall score: 7/10
So, based on that admittedly tiny selection of London pizzerias, the ones you should definitely check out are Rocca, PizzaStorm and Osteria Dell'Arte. If you have any suggestions, please comment!
Don't forget to take a look at our instagram - @gianni.sophie
Happy Pizza Eating!
