Pizza Express, Museum Street, London

...a great fan of chain Pizza parlours generally. Certainly Pizza Hut has it’s uses, but ‘authentic italian’ it is NOT. Thus, I had never ventured inside a Pizza Express restaurant, expecting – quite wrongly in this case – that it would be another of the Pizza-clones.

Pizza Express was founded in the 1960's with one humble restaurant near Museum Street, London, WC2. They aimed to offer good, wholesome, authentic Italian-style pizza and ...
...have to look on the Pizza Express website (more of that later) to see their virtual obsession with the style of music. Founder Peter Boizot, is now a millionaire and past Chairman of Peterborough Utd Football Club.

Anyway, I first found my nearest Pizza Express virtually by accident, definitely not by design, nor choice. I was booked to do some photos at a couple’s family get together after their return from getting married in a far ... more

I must say that this came as a bit of a surprise to me. I’m not a great fan of chain Pizza parlours generally. Certainly Pizza Hut has it’s uses, but ‘authentic italian’ it is NOT. Thus, I had never ventured inside a Pizza Express restaurant, expecting – quite wrongly in this case – that it would be another of the Pizza-clones.

Pizza Express was founded in the 1960's with one humble restaurant near Museum Street, London, WC2. They aimed to offer good, wholesome, authentic Italian-style pizza and some Jazz. The link with Jazz continues today with many of their restaurants having music nights and jazz themes. Plus, you only have to look on the Pizza Express website (more of that later) to see their virtual obsession with the style of music. Founder Peter Boizot, is now a millionaire and past Chairman of Peterborough Utd Football Club.

Anyway, I first found my nearest Pizza Express virtually by accident, definitely not by design, nor choice. I was booked to do some photos at a couple’s family get together after their return from getting married in a far flung place. It was to be a nice celebratory, but informal affair and held at the Pizza Express branch in Bedford. I was not even certain exactly where the place was, yet, it turned out, I’d been past it umpteen times. On the day in question, I arrived and was invited to stay afterwards for the meal which the couple’s family had booked everyone in for. Literally taken over the Restaurant for the whole of the lunchtime/afternoon period on that Sunday.

To compare Pizza Express with Pizza Hut would be like comparing McDonalds to a Steak House. The Express menu is traditional Italian – GOURMET Pizzas, is how it was described to me and certainly they were superb. Not that doughey, mass produced, stodgy and heavily artificial pap you tend to get in the ‘Hut’.

Usually there are the old stand bys in most Pizza outlets, ‘Margherita’, Ham & Pineapple, Spicy Beef or Chicken, Tuna and Sweetcorn etc. At Pizza Express you have an enormous range to choose from, like :

SLOPPY GIUSEPPE - spiced beef, green peppers, onions, mozzarella, tomato
FIORENTINA - spinach, free range egg, parmesan, garlic, olives, mozzarella, tomato
CAJUN - prawns, red peppers, onions, tabasco pepper sauce, mozzarella, tomato
GIARDINIERA - sliced tomato, mushrooms, olives, red peppers, leeks, petits pois, mozzarella, tomato (vegetarian recommended)
LA REINE ham, olives, mushrooms, mozzarella, tomato
AMERICAN HOT - pepperoni sausage, hot green peppers or jalapeno peppers, mozzarella, tomato
NEPTUNE - tuna, anchovies, olives, capers, onions, tomato (no cheese)
SOHO PIZZA - rocket, parmesan, olives, garlic, mozzarella, tomato

Of course before you even make it to your Pizza, there are various ‘antipasta’ to kick start your evening. That first time, I was introduced to ‘Dough Balls’. And before you ask – No, that was not the restaurant’s nickname for the Chef!!!. BAKED DOUGH BALLS, to be precise, served with garlic butter and surprisingly, far tastier that they at first seem. Other options are the ubiquitous GARLIC BREAD - "PizzaExpress" – baked dough sticks brushed with garlic butter, or BRUSCHETTA and a couple of different Salad options.

There are a few traditional Italian dishes to try if you want a change from Pizza as your main course:

KING EDWARD - "PizzaExpress" potato, four cheeses, onions, parmesan, tomato
HAM & EGGS - "PizzaExpress" two free range eggs, ham, mushrooms, tomato served with baked dough balls.
LASAGNE PASTICCIATE - layers of pasta with bechamel, cheese, bolognese sauce, parmesan, tomato
CANNELLONI - rolls of pasta filled with ricotta, spinach, parmesan, tomato

Nothing too obscure or adventurous, but all done with a certain individuality that tends to be missing from your ‘run-of’the-mill’ Chain eatery.

OK That’s quite enough to whet your appetite.

I have since eaten at two other branches of Pizza Express in this country as well as tucking into a gorgeous meal at Pizza Express, Paphos, Cyprus – overlooking the scenic harbour. They have several things in common. Modern décor, but both warm and inviting to boot. A Very nice ambience for whatever occasion you have planned. Prices are exceptionally reasonable for the quality produced. Expect to pay around £8-10 for a pizza – enough for 2. Add to that maybe a starter or some garlic bread, drinks (or a bottle of wine for around £8) and you can have a very nice meal for 2 for less than £25. Lager lovers could do worse than try a bottle of Peroni – Nastro Azzurro, it goes down very nicely with Italian food.

Pizzas like the aforementioned ‘Sloppy Guiseppe’ (wot? I thought at first) you can now buy pre-packaged in Sainsbury’s, I notice. We had one the other day and although not exactly as good as a fresh made one in the restaurant, it most definitely rated at the top end of the scale of the shop bought variety.

You can locate your nearest branch of Pizza Express at their website, or search for their restaurants now beginning to sprout up in various overseas destinations. - www.pizzexpress.co.uk

 

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