Pizza Express, Guildford

...to?

Probably Pizza Hut?

Let’s just weigh up the pros & cons (for me) of Pizza Hut:

-Pros-
:) Yummy food
:) Good choice
:) Nice prices
:) can be Quick

-Cons-
:( Service
:( Crowded
:( Noise
:( Decor
:( Sometimes Bad/cold Food
:( Geared towards families

So looking at the pros & cons it's clear that if you're ...
...she fancies a pizza, then Pizza Hut certainly isn't the place to go.

So where else is there? Well there are quite a few Pizza Express restaurants in my area (Camberley, Woking, Guildford), so I decided to check one of them out with my girlfriend one cold winters evening and this is what I thought...


~Brief History Of Pizza Express~
Pizza Express started in 1948 after the founder of the company Mr Peter ... more

~Introduction~

If I said to you that I was taking you out for a pizza, what's the first place that you'd expect me to take you to?

Probably Pizza Hut?

Let’s just weigh up the pros & cons (for me) of Pizza Hut:

-Pros-
:) Yummy food
:) Good choice
:) Nice prices
:) can be Quick

-Cons-
:( Service
:( Crowded
:( Noise
:( Decor
:( Sometimes Bad/cold Food
:( Geared towards families

So looking at the pros & cons it's clear that if you're taking a lady out for a casual bite to eat & she fancies a pizza, then Pizza Hut certainly isn't the place to go.

So where else is there? Well there are quite a few Pizza Express restaurants in my area (Camberley, Woking, Guildford), so I decided to check one of them out with my girlfriend one cold winters evening and this is what I thought...

~Brief History Of Pizza Express~
Pizza Express started in 1948 after the founder of the company Mr Peter Boizot MBE tasted his first pizza in Florence. When returning to the UK he realized that there was a huge gap in the UK market for 'proper' Pizzas.

Pizza Express opened their first restaurant in 1960's in Wardour Street, in London’s fashionable Soho. At the time ovens in the UK couldn't cook the perfect pizza, so just to get it right they imported an oven all the way from Rome along with a man to operate it.

Since then Pizza Express have grown to having 280 restaurants in the UK & Ireland & has been expanding abroad since 1997.

In 1993 the company was floated in the Stock Market & the restaurants were franchised, 3 years later the company bought them back to try & restore the original quality of the Pizza Express brand.

~Our Destination~
Restaurant: Pizza Express Woking
Address: 65 Goldsworth Road, Woking GU21 1LJ
Telephone: 01483 750 310
Opening Hours: 11:30 AM - Midnight

Just outside the shopping area of the town, 10 minutes from the bus/train station. Seated 100 people.

~First Impressions~
Well it looked very nice from the outside, quite an old building that had been restored. The entrance was on the corner & there was outdoors seating in a private area next to the pavement. There were a few people sitting outside watching the world go by as it was well lit & had outdoor heaters dotted around.

The name Pizza Express sounds a bit tacky, but gives the wrong impression really. Stepping inside you are greeted by the doorman who takes finds you a suitable table (or the one you booked). The inside was very modern, with dark marble effect floors, glass tables & beach (wood) furniture. There was also a separate bar area & a comfy looking leather sofa area to relax in.

The tables were fairly well laid out and gave you a good deal of room & privacy whilst you were eating your meal.

~Atmosphere~
It was very easy to chat during out meal as our table was in a nice position by one of the windows. The lighting was very relaxing & quite romantic (whilst not being too slushy). A lot of thought had gone into the layout & furniture to make it as relaxing as possible & it worked very well. Noise was kept to a reasonable level, it helped not having any kids in there & there was light music playing overhead that appeared to be changed as the Varity of customers change throughout the evening.

~The Food~
Well this is what we came for & we weren't disappointed. There was a very good range of food, not just pizzas but pasta, potato salad & lasagne etc. on offer. There is also a good range of choices available for people that can't have nuts or people that are vegetarians.

The pizzas are a bit more exotic & original than at Pizza Hut or a delivery company. So if you're a fussy eater then you might want to check the menu before you go. You can find this on the web site (more about that later).

~What We Had~
Here's a little glimpse at our meal, just to get an idea:

Me & Eva’s Meal

• Starter - Potato Wedges
• Main Meal - Caesar Salad
  - Four Seasons Pizza
• Desert:
  Eva - Chocolate Fudge Cake (big surprise)
  Graham (me)- Cheese Cake
• Wine - Bottle of Vigna Palazza Falerio (white)

The portions were huge & the toppings were fresh & generously applied. Even the deserts, which are usually expensive for the portions you get in restaurants, were fairly generous.

We had our main meal within 25 minutes of arriving at the restaurant & I couldn't fault the meal for that amount of time. The presentation was very good for the time spent & the staff were very polite & efficient.

Total cost of the meal (without wine) came in at under £20, which was very good value for the quality & enjoyment we had that evening.

~Conclusion~
Would I go again? Well you'll already know if you've been reading, of course I would. A wonderful meal, for not a lot of money. One of the best chain restaurants there are, each branch is slightly individual, but sticks to the companies tough quality polices, so I'd feel happy recommending any of their restaurants.

~The Web Site~
If you want to know more visit www.PizzaExpress.co.uk. It's a great site, from here you can read the menu, find out more about the company or use the wonderful tool that finds your nearest restaurant.

The restaurant locator is a really good tool, you simply type in your postcode, town name or area & it'll find nearby branches. Once you've found one you can find out its opening times, contact details or use the interactive map for directions & find out if there are any special nights (live music etc.). Some have extra rooms that are available for private hire.

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