Best Pizza in London

[Pizza Napoletana]

Is this in the old Francos/Eco site in the market?  Or are you from Eco?

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It is in the old Eco's site, but it has been bought by a new neapolitan owner

I will give you more info once the opening is confirmed

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please do...very curious to see if anyone can reproduce pizza outside of Italy in just the same way.

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Franco Manca Pizza - Brixton Market -London

We had the soft launch yesterday and had great interest, we have been pretty busy. It is a real shame we did not take pictures of the pizza but the comments we have received were all very positive.

The place will commercially launch next Tuesday.

So let me tell you more about this place:

It was formally a gourmet pizzeria offering Electric Oven made pizza with good ingredients but with crispy crust and dead toppings..

The new owner wanted to operate as a brand new concept, recreating the Neapolitan crust and using almost 100% organic ingredients and seasonal produce.

I was recruited to look at the dough recipe/methodology and consult on various aspect of the operation.

We have sourced two Forno Napoletano (one will operate in the place opposite that will open at the later stage), a mixer and other machinery that will help achieve the desire product.

We have also sourced an Italian Organic Flour of the desired strenght and the owner has flown in a cheesemaker from Sorrento that has worked with an organic farm in England to produce the fior di latte to use on the pizza. The menu is very simple, and at the moment contain about 5 pizza. Wine and beers are also organic.

If you are in London and want to visit let me know. I will be in Italy for two weeks but after that I should be there every Saturdays.

[Winot]

Sounds good, will try to give it a go soon. Are your opening hours constrained by the market hours as for Ecos previously? For example, will you be open Wednesday lunchtime when the market has half day closing?

[Pizza Napoletana]

Sounds good, will try to give it a go soon.  Are your opening hours constrained by the market hours as for Ecos previously?  For example, will you be open Wednesday lunchtime when the market has half day closing?

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It will have the same opening hours as the previous management, therefore closing on Wednesday and Sunday. I believe the Market is exploring the possibility of being open on Fridays Eve in the future.

[Pizza Napoletana]

Hi Guys,

Just a brief update from Franco Manca in Brixton to show you few pictures of some pizza baked today:

Here a Tomato, Fior Di Latte (cow milk mozzarella), wild Mushroom & Rocket:

Here a Tomato & Fior Di Latte

Here as above + chorizo:

And Finally, as above + ricotta:

All comments are welcome.

Ciao

[muichoi]

Looking good, though not better than mine, made with caputo flour, my own aged starter and cooked in 90 seconds-but Chorizo????

[joesan]

The pizzas look wonderful, very tasty, but honestly Chorizo? What's next Ham and Pineapple?

Seems a shame to go to lengths to get an authentic product and ruin it with suspect toppings.

[Pizza Napoletana]

The pizzas look wonderful, very tasty, but honestly Chorizo? What's next Ham and Pineapple?

Seems a shame to go to lengths to get an authentic product and ruin it with suspect toppings.

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Fair comments, and let me say first that the menu choice has been the owner own. However, I do not see anything wrong with using Chorizo. Cured Pork meat has always been used on pizza. The meat is sourced from Brindisa and is not a cheap chorizo from a supermarket, it is just a quality cured "salami" flavoured with pepper... (it is not the chilli/spicy type). We are not talking about ingredients that you would not find normally at a Neapolitan pizzeria or that we would think not appropriate. As far we are using cured pork meat, Cheeses, tomatoes, olive oil, wild mushrooms and even some types of fish, then we are keeping in line with what should be topping a great Neapolitan Pizza Base.

The cheeses are made by an organic farm in Somerset which has been trained by a cheese maker from Naples.

The idea was to create the best possible pizza using the most suitable topping, not necessarily being 100% authentic for the sake of it, but where it was necessary then we went the extra mile. To produce that type of crust, we had to source a suitable flour, the best possible oven and mixer (baking on an average of 45 seconds yesterday) and so on. Instead of sourcing a low quality commercial organic Salami from Italy, or field tasteless mushroom, the owner has decided to source top quality ingredients, whenever possible from local sources. We are using Porcini and Chantarelle ...

We are still working on the possibility of sourcing a high quality Salame Napoli from a small producer, but could not find a suitable product yet.

You obviously entitled to your opinions and views, but I would like to invite you to taste it and the feedback on the actual flavours, lightness and total quality.

Ciao

[petit cochon]

Just wanted to mention my delivery-only neighbourhood (Marylebone) favourite: http://www.752pizza.com/menu-pizza.html

So far I've been consistently impressed w/ both their traditional and more creative pizzas - but I'm lucky enough to be going to Sicily next week, so I'll see how they compare w/ the real thing!

[joesan]

Pizza Napoletana - please don't misunderstand me I think the product looks really great, I definitely intend to try it. The sourcing policy looks admirable e.g. I do think if you can get a fresh locally produced mozzarella that freshness will pay divdidends in terms of flavour over strict authenticity. It's just that you asked for our views and my view, and I think the views of some others, is that you will never see a pizza with Chorizo on it in Naples. If they can't find a good Salami from Naples they haven't looked very hard - I have at least two of them plus a fine Coppa in my fridge now.

To me it's more likely that the owner (wrongly) thought that Chorizo sounded more trendy and went with that. But true Italian food doesn't go that way. It is very,very conservative (in the main) and sticks to the tested and true ingredients with those ingredients being primarily from the local area. Not, as in this case, a product from an entirely different country.

Anyway please don't feel I am negative about the pizzas themselves - I can tell you care about them and that they will be good. But try and let the chef in you persuade the owner on what is appropriate re the toppings. I think that it would make a big difference for those of us who care about "la vera pizza napoletana". I've just been re-reading Elizabeth David and the things that the British did do Italian cuisine in the early days were unbelievable - it's a wonder that the cuisine survived here let alone flourished.

[Pizza Napoletana]

Joesan,

Thanks for your message.

I would agree with most of what you are saying, and would like to make a couple of further points:

Starting with Salame Tipo Napoli, this is now mostly commercially produced by north Italian corporate companies using commercial pork breeds. The one produced by local producers in Campania comes with little consistency in quality and with no many guarantee or traceability, which in light of the recent event in the area, would be even more worrying. Both the owner and I are in agreement that if we could use an ORGANIC (must) Salami made by a small producer with the right attributes, using meat from the local Campanian black pigs, we would immediately do so.

Back to the Chorizo, having considered the above, we have found it to be a good alternative that could be sourced from a local distributor (we would instead need to create an importing channel once we find the suitable Campanian alternative).

In terms of authenticity, it is not a goal of this concept. The reason I was hired and brought into this project is that the owner recognise the Pizza Napoletana model I promote as the best in terms of dough and final baked product (in Naples we say pizza is the crust!). To produce this type of dough and obtain certain characteristic in the final baked pizza base, it is a must to source a traditional oven made in th Neapolitan tradition and use a certain type of mixer, and that is what we did. Franco Manca want to offer top quality organic pizza made in the Neapolitan ways, but does not want to be seen as an authentic Neapolitan place.

Also for the record, in Naples is quite common now to find pizza like "Wrustell e Patatine" (Hot Dog Sausage & French Fries) and Mais, Prosciutto Cotto e panna (Sweet corn, Ham and double cream).... Would I have offer it on a pizza because is also offered in Naples? Not at all!

In any case I will feedback your thoughts to him with no problems, and I am most positive about yours and any other comments that will come through.

Saluti

Marco

Edited March 31, 2008 by Pizza Napoletana (log)

[joesan]

Cheers Marco, I wish you all the best in the venture - looks like you are really going for a quality product. I look forward to trying it.

[CheGuevara]

pizzanap - can you give me an idea of the cost of the ovens? have been thinking of installing one next to my bbq!

thanks.

-che

edit: btw the pizzas look very good

Edited April 1, 2008 by CheGuevara (log)

[Pizza Napoletana]

pizzanap - can you give me an idea of the cost of the ovens? have been thinking of installing one next to my bbq!

thanks.

-che

edit: btw the pizzas look very good

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I am glad you like the pizza.

I have sent you a pm. It is important to note that these are unique ovens and there are only two families that makes the authentic pizza oven and many others bad imitators.

It would not normally be suitable for the home baker, it is a bit like someone buying a Formula 1 car to drive around the city...

Ciao

Edited April 1, 2008 by Pizza Napoletana (log)

[CheGuevara]

pizzanap - can you give me an idea of the cost of the ovens? have been thinking of installing one next to my bbq!

thanks.

-che

edit: btw the pizzas look very good

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I am glad you like the pizza.

I have sent you a pm. It is important to note that these are unique ovens and there are only two families that makes the authentic pizza oven and many others bad imitators.

It would not normally be suitable for the home baker, it is a bit like someone buying a Formula 1 car to drive around the city...

Ciao

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with the only difference that my garden is like a racetrack...

[Matthew Grant]

September review in the Observer

[captain kerk]

try ICCO on Goodge Street, dead cheap, and as good as any Pizza ive ever had

[Spike L]

I've found a surprising source of good pizza to be Olive on Hoxton St... just opposite Bacchus. Thin bases, good topping... and oddly only £3 for the basic margherita. I'd be intrigued to see what others make of it

[Food Snob]

Hi,

I just wanted to give my vote to Franco Manca

I was there in August and had a regular and a calzone; both were excellent.

[LesleyT]

Definitely Franco Manca. It's my local and I love it.

[brokentelephone]

I went to Franco Manca a few weeks back with my girlfriend. The place was jammed, and we waited probably 40 minutes for a table. We each ordered a pizza margarita -- my girlfriend loved hers and mine was borderline awful.

Somehow, my pizza was totally underdone -- the base was soggy, and the crust heavy. Hers was somewhat less-so, though I didn't particularly enjoy hers either. I bet it must've just been a bad batch, and am willing to give another try, or maybe I just don't enjoy authentic pizza?

[thomasrodgers]

Just want to add my tuppence-worth...

Franco Manca is by far and away the best pizza I have had not just in London, but outside of Italy.

As far as post below goes, hard to tell whether something really 'went wrong' or you just don't like that style of pizza (although in fairness the base shouldn't be soggy, and never has been when I've eaten there, so maybe there was something wrong... although as your gf liked it, who knows). In any case, I've eaten there lots and never been disappointed.

It's also exactly the kind of place that London needs more of - cheap and cheerful, and all about the food's excellence and integrity.

Yes it's in Brixton

Yes it's next to the smelly market on Electric Ave (which I happen to love, but horses for courses i guess)

Yes it's only open for lunch

And yes, it is miraculously cheap!

But, truly, this place is awesome in it's simplicity, honesty and integrity.

Frankly, it wipes the floor of Red Pepper in Maida Vale which is mentioned up-post (and which I like, so no sour grapes here), and it comes in at well under half the price.

And as for the gripe about the 'inauthentic' chorizo; I think that's really a little petty, especially from someone who hasn't tasted the pizzas in question, and also, as pizza napoletana indicates, really a little naive if it's a criticism of 'authenticity'. Maybe the paprika is 'inauthentic', although it is used in some regions of Italy in cured pork products (the Spanish had their fingers in many pies back in the day, as did the Moors before them)... In any case, you can be assured it's not the kind of operation to go in for a sloppy fall-back compromise or slaving to fashion when it puts porcini on a pizza, teaches English farmers to make mozzarella and flies over Neapolitan artisans to build its ovens! And all of that is done not in the name of trendiness or tradition or faux-authenticity, but just to make the best pizzas possible. Laudable.

Anyway, all I'd say is go and try it if you can, it's worth it.

[Siharris28]

Just want to add my tuppence-worth...

Franco Manca is by far and away the best pizza I have had not just in London, but outside of Italy.

As far as post below goes, hard to tell whether something really 'went wrong' or you just don't like that style of pizza (although in fairness the base shouldn't be soggy, and never has been when I've eaten there, so maybe there was something wrong... although as your gf liked it, who knows). In any case, I've eaten there lots and never been disappointed.

It's also exactly the kind of place that London needs more of - cheap and cheerful, and all about the food's excellence and integrity.

Yes it's in Brixton

Yes it's next to the smelly market on Electric Ave (which I happen to love, but horses for courses i guess)

Yes it's only open for lunch

And yes, it is miraculously cheap!

But, truly, this place is awesome in it's simplicity, honesty and integrity.

Frankly, it wipes the floor of Red Pepper in Maida Vale which is mentioned up-post (and which I like, so no sour grapes here), and it comes in at well under half the price.

And as for the gripe about the 'inauthentic' chorizo; I think that's really a little petty, especially from someone who hasn't tasted the pizzas in question, and also, as pizza napoletana indicates, really a little naive if it's a criticism of 'authenticity'. Maybe the paprika is 'inauthentic', although it is used in some regions of Italy in cured pork products (the Spanish had their fingers in many pies back in the day, as did the Moors before them)... In any case, you can be assured it's not the kind of operation to go in for a sloppy fall-back compromise or slaving to fashion when it puts porcini on a pizza, teaches English farmers to make mozzarella and flies over Neapolitan artisans to build its ovens! And all of that is done not in the name of trendiness or tradition or faux-authenticity, but just to make the best pizzas possible. Laudable.

Anyway, all I'd say is go and try it if you can, it's worth it. 

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Haven't made it here yet - mainly because it's only open for lunch - what are the chances of them opening for dinner?

[Food Snob]

Haven't made it here yet - mainly because it's only open for lunch - what are the chances of them opening for dinner?

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I believe that whilst at their current premises, the chances would be zero.

I remember reading that the reason they are only open 12-5 is because those are the hours that the arcade the restaurant resides in opens...

[danyoung]

The Margherita pizza (£6) I had at Pizza East (56 Shoreditch High Street, London – Tel 020 7729 1888) was the best I’ve ever had in London. It was more distinctive, stylistically, than the pizzas at all but one of London’s more accomplished pizzerias, Story Deli. Rather than merely emulate the Neapolitans, Australian chef Bernie Plaisted has looked to pizzerias in Sydney, New York, San Francisco and Los Angeles for some crisp thinking. His pizza is crisp to the core, unlike its soft-centered counterparts in Naples, yet extremely light and delicately chewy. Evidence suggests that the charred, bubbly and blistered cornicione was inspired by the sourdough crust at Pizzeria Mozza in LA. The English difference entails dusting the dough with fine Maldon sea salt. It the pizza too salty? Maybe. Would I like them to use less salt? No. The Maldon almost becomes a flavour as much as a seasoning. I love it.

The mozzarella is Mozzarella di Bufala Campana DOP – the best that GBP can buy. Pizza East drains the cheese, as it must, only not excessively so. The scattered patches of cheese do melt and ooze some as the pizza bakes in the wood-and-gas-fired oven, but the transformation from solid state towards a liquid one does not turn the whole disk into one milky mess.