Stef grew up in London during the 1970s, arguably not a good time for pizza in the UK. About your best hope was a soggy imitation of something someone saw on a TV show imported from the US. Let's just say that it influenced her dislike for pizza, cured only by marrying Gary who cannot live without it.
Typically we don't search out pizza while in London (occasional orders at
Cicchetti being the exception -- more on that later). But for a post-theatre treat, we decided on
Pizza Pilgrims, partly to check out
Kingly Court in Soho and partly for the rave reviews.
We arrived to a packed courtyard and managed to score a table inside, even though it was getting close to the ovens being cooled down for the night. Happy customers with empty plates seated all around us were a positive indication and we eagerly awaited our Neapolitan style pizzas. And we were not disappointed. The brutally hot ovens (500 degrees celsius) turned out a roundish pizza with minimal toppings and chewy, flavorful crust.
 |
| Pizza Pilgrims Margherita. Simply delicious. |
Gary, of course, opted for the baseline test and ordered the Margherita. He also successfully replicated a true Italian style of eating by ripping and folding. He declared it delicious, carefully offered Stef a taste (declined), and did not say much else until the entire pizza had been consumed.
 |
| Successful tear and fold. |
Stef ordered roasted aubergine (eggplant in other parts of the world) which was wonderful. A few more toppings might have threatened the soft and chewy crust, but it held up wonderfully. Made for some good breakfast pizza as well.
 |
| Roasted aubergine. |
Combine that with a carafe of surprisingly decent red wine (choices on the menu were red or white), a cheerful and chatty server, and the hustle and bustle of Soho on a Saturday night ... a great meal.
