rumours of zizzi?

[georgia]

I like Pizza Express - the service and the food has always been good when I have been to any of their restaurants. Also like Strada. Wouldn't mind a Zizzi in ED though - better than no Italian restaurant at all.

[blinder999]

Keef Wrote:

> However, I imagine one day when I have little

> keefs (Eeek), I will be pleased of somewhere to

> take them where I can get a beer and a pizza ;-)

Big Keef and little keefs in need of beer and pizza could also head for The Gowlett - better pizza and better beer, though admittedly, it's less of a clinical chainriffic experience than Pizza Express, which does have its place.

[Chartwell]

I really like Pizza Express (more so that some swanky Italian place I once went to in Soho!), I think the food is great and the atmosphere is any one of their places always feels good and the price is good. Quite often they are in really nice buildings too. A friend works for PE in some sort of development role and they are about to launch a new menu, apparently.

Was there a Zizzi in Covent Garden on Long Acre? If so I think I went there once, but think it has now closed down, the food was OK but rather pricey I seem to recall.

[nutty]

Me and Mrs Nutty got married at Belair a couple of years back, befor ethe change of ownership, chef and decor. It was wonderful and the food was top notch. We went back this year and Mrs Nutty almost cried at what they have done to the place :(. Food was awful, they couldn't even produce a rare steak (was medium to well done) and when we sent it back it took them 20 mins to conjure up another one. Such a shame as if they'd just kept the character and renovated a little it could have been wonderful.

[Keef]

Blinder999, good advise, Gowlett Pizzas are yum! :)-D

[blinder999]

and they sell beer as well as pizza in Mon Petit Chou - pizza = yum, beer probably bottled :-S

[SimonM]

>>and they sell beer as well as pizza in Mon Petit Chou - pizza = yum, beer probably bottled<<

Yup: Peroni or Stella

[vicksg]

Couldn't agree with you more about Beauberry House Nutty. We went for a 'special' Valentine's meal which turned into one disaster after another. Perhaps best illustrated by the fact that when we arrived, after being kept waiting for about 5 minutes in the foyer, the greeting lady said her colleague would take my coat. So I gratefully gave it to him. Whereupon he handed it to my husband and told him there was a cloakroom downstairs. In a daze my husband took the coat downstairs himself , only to be charged ?1! My lobster was not cooked - it was revolting, there was no apology or even concern. It was atrocious. I haven't received a reply to my complaint letter.

I hope they sort themselves out - such a waste of a beautiful building.

[spadetownboy]

spare a thought for the poor lobster,not only boiled to within an inch of his life he was also most probably eaten alive.i hope the rspca dont find out.

[mockney piers]

I had a perfectly cooked one of those recently.

Who needs Beauberry House when The Forum's own Bumbalina is such a dab hand at crustacean death

I must say, not cooking seems a pretty unorthodox way of serving lobster, surely some sort of H&S issue there?

[hot-diggedy]

If you want great delicious pizzas with proper crispy and thin and italian and scrummy stonebaked oven cooked bases in East Dulwich/Peckham then look no further than the Gowlett - the toppings are not overloaded too so no soggy mess. Its got real ales too!

The only draw back is the lack of extraction so it can get very smokey. very. smokey.

Zizzi is pants.

[Nero]

Zizzi, IMHO, is not a patch on Strada. The new place on F Hill Rd will be doing pizzas, but not wood fired oven ones. Nero

[Bobby P]

Talking of pizza, just wondered if anyone has tried Firezza in Herne Hill, who deliver to SE22? (I think you might can eat in at their premmises too, but have never seen the place).

I have to say, having tried them for the first time a few weeks back, it's in a completely different league to other delivery pizza places, and a cut well above the Pizza Express style. All fresh ingredients, and fantastic dough, sold by the half metre. They're a small London chain now, with 5 or 6 outlets apparently.

Anyone else tried? Thoughts?

[Polly D]

First time we tried them we were delighted and scoffed half a metre each I think. Sadly, subsequent deliveries have been a bit sad, for example, missing ingredients, cold (to be fair, they're based in Herne Hill), warm beer and, well, just have never been quite as delicious as the first time. Will have more tries though cos reckon they're the best delivery pizzas on offer locally. Great choice of toppings.

Pizza Express ... hmmmmm ... worked for them for 10 years or so, it went downhill when the menu changed (IMHO). True they usually pick great locations and the atmosphere is good. For all you parents: they're now introducing a kid's menu so no more "Can I have a margarita, pepperoni on one half and olives on the other, cut into 16 and 20 napkins?"

[SeanMacGabhann]

Whilst on the pizza thread...

We tried Mon PetiChou last night for the first time and based on my impression from the outside and from opinions on here it was almost exactly as I imagined - ie mostly A Good Thing

Pizza was sublime, pasta was excellent and the staff were sweet as anything. Different food entirely from daytime opening and the (bottled) beer went down a treat. Only thing wrong is the decor which isn't wrong really - just a bit cafe ish which I imagine is what puts off most people peering in - we were the only 2 people for about half the time we were there

Observant readers will note that I also said we were in Hoopers bar for first time as well last night - oh how the evenings fly by

Re: Firezza. I wouldn't say it was all downhill from the first time - but I would echo Polly's general opinion that it can be cold and the toppings can be inconsistent. And I ALWAYS forget to ask them to slice it so I end up with half a metre of pizza to hack around in our tiny kitchen. If you fancy the same grub but warmer, the pub on the edge of Peckham Rye (Page 2 I think it's called?) on the Nunhead road serves fresj Firezza pizzas so worth a look - very close to the Gowlett tho so if you are already out and about.....

[batdog]

Polly D

Pizza Express = NOTHING to do with italian pizza.... !!!

[Keef]

It also = Tastes nice! It's also not Polly's responsibility to be fair.

[Polly D]

You're telling me Batdog! Don't get me started on a dough rant ...

(Thank you kind Keef; you're a true gent)

[SeanMacGabhann]

ah go on Polly - we the public love a bit of insider gossip

Obviously you wouldn't be talking about t'Express - just stuff you heard about "other" pizza restaurants

[mockney piers]

** warning, not for the faint hearted **

Are people still convinced Zizzi is better than Pizza Express after this tale of woe

[kittenheels]

Gosh, I was in Zizzi on the Strand on Sunday, celebrating my friend's marathon triumph. Thank goodness we missed this though. Blisters and achy bits are one thing, but this would truly have put our runner off her lunch.

[Polly D]

Oh this happened all the time in PE (hee hee). Blimey, what a gruesome story. Puts a whole new perspective on extra toppings. Do you think he regretted his actions in the morning? Maybe? Glad you missed that Kittenheels.

[georgia]

Maybe he just wanted to leave a tip...

[mockney piers]

LOL *round of applause* :D

[TillieTrotter]

Very good Georgia:))