Searching for London's Best Pizza

Posted by Adam Kuban, November 14, 2008 at 4:15 PM

Bloomberg Television ropes Italian chef Francesco Mazzei of L'Anima into a tour of London in hopes of finding the best pizza there.

But, oh, they didn't hear about saving the best for last. By a stroke of good luck or bad luck (take your pick), they end up finding the best pizzeria in the Big Smoke at the start of their tour.

Having done a number of pizza tours myself, I know how disappointing it is starting on a high and then hitting misses the rest of the day.

What's that you ask? Oh, the best pizza joint in London? Franco Manca in Brixton.

Franco Manca is owned by Giuseppe Mascoli, 50, from Positano, on the Amalfi Coast. He uses lievito madre natural yeast and slow- rising sourdough that he prepares 20 hours in advance. The brick oven is from Naples, the flour from Piedmont, the organic tomatoes from Liguria and the cheeses from Somerset. Yes, Somerset in England, where they are made by Alham Wood Cheese....
"It can be difficult to find good pizza in London," Mazzei said. "PizzaExpress is a bit like McDonald's. There's no authenticity. It's fine for families and kids but not for a pizza connoisseur and not for a chef. I've never been to Pizza Hut."

And here are what various outlets have said about Franco Manca: Chowhound, Time Out London, Metro.

And a few nice pix.

Londoners: Have you been? What's your verdict?

Franco Manca

4 Market Row, Electric Lane, Brixton, SW9 8LD
020 7738 3021
francomanca.co.uk

4 Comments

Tags: England, London, Naples-style, wood-oven

4 Comments:

I can't remember the name of the place (after a Google search I think it's Pizza Pomodoro?), but years back I went to a pizzeria on Beauchamp Place just down the road and around the corner from Harrod's. You had to descend into the basement to get to the space. Was it the best pizza ever? Probably not, but at the time it tasted so much like home it was amazing!

missus_p at 5:55PM on 11/14/08

If you're in stroud green its an enormous stand off between papagones and porchettas, you either like one or the other, never both.

jennywenny at 7:05PM on 11/14/08

Pizza Pompodoro is an incredible spot. Was there 18 years ago, 3 straight nights. Live jazz, dank atmosphere, great pizza. It is right by the Victoria Albert Museum and Harrods and is worth a visit.

toddyb at 4:05PM on 11/16/08

Without a doubt the best pizza in London...I've searched high and low, and this absolute gem opened this Spring less than 3 miles from my house! Sweet.

The 'dough consultant' for Franco Manca regularly posts on a pizza making forum that I frequent -- the starter he supplied for them is over 200 years old from Ischia.

My poor prose won't do the restaurant justice, so I'd just have to concur w/ everything in the Bloomberg article. Some of my photos plus other people's reviews are at: http://www.pizzamaking.com/forum/index.php/topic,6371.40.html

Went again last week, took 3 people with me (I think I've introduced about 20 people to it in total). Yum.

steampie at 4:10PM on 11/23/08

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