We’ve been to both the Hoxton and the Covent Garden locations and have concluded that this is great, solid pizza. You should choose this chain over any other London pizza chain (Pizza Express, Zizzi, Fire and Stone) because it’s actually good quality.
The only negative about the food is that almost everything has a very mild taste. There’s no punch of flavor anywhere. The tomato sauce isn’t strongly flavored, the crust is pretty mild tasting, and even the gorgonzola isn’t strong (which is saying a lot).
The first time we went it was a Saturday afternoon around 1:30 pm at the Hoxton location and there were maybe only 4 or 5 tables occupied. It was mostly empty. The place is spacious with a casual, but comfortable atmosphere. The server was nice and willing to answer questions.
One of the things that bothered me initially was that they had no marinara option on the menu, normally a red flag. But when I inquired about it to the waiter, he knew exactly what it was and said they do make that, but only upon request. Pizzas look lovely.
I ordered the marinara and added gorgonzola to it. The marinara came as a standard marinara would (sauce, garlic, oregano), but no basil. I requested it and he brought some on the side, but it was fresh and uncooked so it didn’t jive as well with the pizza. As mentioned, everything was relatively weak tasting: the sauce, the garlic (I wouldn’t have believed there was any if I hadn’t seen it – how can you even make garlic mild tasting?), the oregano (barely noticeable), and the gorgonzola (a very very mild one). I wish all the flavors had been amped up, but it was still a great and enjoyable meal.
We also got the margherita. Not the best pizza we’ve had, but definitely great quality.
We thoroughly enjoyed the meals, but this place is quite expensive, and you can find equally great Neapolitan pizza for far cheaper. Still a pretty safe bet, so if you’re around one, don’t hesitate to give it a try.
