Tag Archives: Pizza Pilgrims

The Nadler, Soho

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My Sunday sleepovers at local London hotels are becoming more regular as I discover more and more promising establishments in my home town. Despite spending several evenings a week wandering the restaurant-packed streets of Soho, I have never noticed the Nadler before. Brilliantly located near to some of my favourite food outlets, the Nadler provides reasonably priced, stylish but simple accommodation for travellers wishing to stay in London’s most popular district.

Visitors to the Nadler are welcomed by the powerful sculpted angel overlooking the entrance. The venue seemed quiet and contemplative when we arrived late on a Sunday afternoon. After a speedy check-in, we zoomed up a few floors to our room – it was slick and swish, spacious and spotless. The room felt well thought through: a grand four-poster bed topped with a furry soft blanket instantly giving a luxurious feel to the room. A mini-kitchenette with microwave and sink, kettle, coffee machine was neatly concealed behind cupboard doors, it would be of great use for those choosing to create their own in-room dining. To accompany our stay, the Nadler team sweetly left champagne on ice, and Paul A Young chocolates.

The bathroom was large, classic and covered in marble, featuring all the necessary essentials. Gilchrist & Soames provide all the toiletries, his and hers sinks sat below a huge mirror, and there was a large bath-shower and plenty of soft towels. It was a lovely treat to indulge in the bath and then sit wrapped-up in a towelling robe to watch Sunday night TV on the huge flatscreen hanging above the end of the bed.

The Nadler decides its own rules. The lack of restaurant could limit the hotel, but fun alternatives are provided by the neighbouring eateries. Breakfast, for instance, is fetched for you (by Nadler staff) from Italian hit cafe Princi, and guests are encouraged to seek out dinner from the nearby establishments (we grabbed takeaway pizzas from the super boys at Pizza Pilgrims and treated ourselves to a pizza picnic in bed with glasses of bubbly).

This popular Soho hotel has four stars but our room was certainly deserving of five. With other branches in Kensington and Liverpool, the Nadler has a winning recipe for success.

More information and book here: www.thenadler.com/soho

Pizza Places in London

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After a summer spent in Italy trying the very best pizza places, I was inspired to comb London for what is on offer for pizza loving Brits. The burger craze seems to be taking a much deserved break, making room for European fast food, and pizza is top of the menu. Quick, easy and with so many varieties and styles, it is clear why pizza is so popular all over the globe.

Pizza Pilgrims: After thrilling the streets of London with their pop-up pizza van, the Pizza Pilgrims (brothers Tom and James) have finally opened up a restaurant on Dean Street, smack bang between Jazz Pizza Express and Soho Joe’s Pizzeria! They are using all the precious knowledge and experience gathered on their Pizza Pilgrimage across Italy to present Londoners with tasty pizzas and a fun retro café to enjoy them in. After an hour wait, we were ravenous and really enjoyed the Salsiccia e Friarielli and Nduja pizzas. Yum.

Franco Manca: Now with five branches across London, enthusiasm for Franco Manca’s sourdough-based pizzas is growing at speed. They are made with the best tomatoes, cheese, meat and vegetables and the taste has a Mediterranean freshness about it. I thought my pizza was the best, number 6: tomato, organic cured chorizo (dry and semi-dry) and mozzarella (£6.95) – a soft and airy base topped with peppery chorizo, rich in flavour and blissfully luxurious.

Santa Maria: This adorable little pizzeria is located in Ealing and is always heaving with hungry locals. The traditional Neapolitan is cooked in the wood fired oven giving a lovely taste and crisp base. Often voted as the best pizza in London, this fiercely authentic little restaurant is worth seeking out. There are so many delicious choices, but the Sant’Anna is a firm favourite with regular visitors.

Homeslice: Another new fixture on the London streets is Homeslice, a passionate company who spent two years serving from a mobile wood fired oven in the courtyard of London Fields brewery. Located in lovely Covent Garden, this pizzeria is ideal for a shopping refuel. You can either have a mega slice (roughly 20 inches) for sharing between two or three people, or a half and half 20 inch of two flavours of your choice. They are extra thin and topped with intriguing and wonderful toppings like pork belly, chimichurri and smoked onion… mmmmm.

Pizza East: Each of the Pizza East venues has an industrial but charming feel, providing a lovely place to relax and feast. I have been meaning to visit this modern pizzeria for a while and was glad to finally tick it off my list after eating at the seriously trendy Portobello branch. The place was very busy, and I observed the obvious enjoyment around me. Pizzas are piled high with vibrantly fresh ingredients, but be warned the prices are ludicrously high. We shared the Spicy sausage, mozzarella and broccoli and the Aubergine with tomato, buffalo mozzarella and pesto, and enjoyed the flavours but not the bill!

Pick your pizzeria of choice and gorge on Italy’s finest contribution to the British restaurant scene.