We all love a new and unusual spin on an old foodie favourite, don’t we? Actually, Grazia’s Chrissy Amer is a bit of a traditionalist when it comes to crazy food combos, so how will sweet pizzas loaded with white chocolate, strawberries and basil go down?
There’s a new pizzeria in town. London town. Moments from Oxford Street in a cutesy Mayfair mews if you MUST know. Idyllic shopaholics location aside, I trot down there to see is it really worth risking life and limb wobbling across killer cobbles to somewhere with “Mayfair” in its title (licence to double the prices, surely) and is their sweet pizza menu, without any help from Heston B, actually going to work?
We arrived to a nicely packed restaurant, with gentle hubbub, not-too smiley waiting staff gliding about and the pleasing clinking of glasses. Aaah, what joy to hit upon somewhere that’s just the right amount of popular with appropriate noise levels!
On first glance, the menu is Italian (obvs), extensive and exceptionally well-priced. First up, what can only be described as an enormous ‘pile’ of buffalo mozzarella with juicy tomatoes and basil and for my dining companion, a cone full of calamari fritti washed down with delicious, price-tastic bowls of house vin. Good start.
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For our mains we figured it would be rude not to give the pizzas a whirl and wolfed down a little prosciutto and rocket number (I’m lying, there was nothing little about it) and gave the Fiorentina a run for its money. They may well be bursting with flavour and have just enough crunch to the base but be warned, these things are HUGE and if you struggle with self-control and/or the guilt of wasting food, you’ve got trouble on your hands (and round your chops).
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Now dear readers, only for the sake of this review did we selflessly struggle on through our food comas and try one of the new sweet pizza desserts. Advice was sought from our right-amount-of-cheery waitress who recommended the wild strawberry pizza with white chocolate and basil, explaining “you don’t really know if you like it but you can’t stop eating it”. How utterly preposterous!
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She was only bloody right. We were beyond stuffed from parts one and two of our meal and yet we ploughed through the whole thing, only coming up for air with shaking heads and exasperated faces exclaiming “I don’t even think I like it!” Like moths to a flame. Moths to a crazy, sweet, savoury, doughy flame.
So, what did I learn from my visit to the Mayfair Pizza Co? **
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Don’t worry about the Mayfair bit in the name – this is one of the most reasonable priced places I’ve been to in a long time.
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The sweet pizza menu DOES work. Don’t ask me how, it just does.
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Yes, it was worth risking life and limb navigating those cobles but would recommend you donning a flat shoe and consider an elasticated waistband when you go.
Chrissy Amer**
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Mayfair Pizza Co. | 4 Lancashire Court, New Bond Street, London W1S 1EY