Soho Pizzeria proves to be Soso good

With its funky combination of black paint and red neon signage, the Soho Pizzeria is visually one of the most memorable restaurants in Central London, yet sitting within the labyrinth of achingly cool streets that is Soho, remembering just which prominent corner it sits on is still something of a challenge.

Meeting my Dad for lunch on a Friday, I was worried of having to wait for a table, yet we were quickly seated right in the thick of the action and given menus by our waitress. The clue should be in the name but pizza is very firmly the favourite dish here and as such I decided against either pasta or salad.

Looking around the restaurant and my immediate impression was that the pizzas were actually quite small, which usually leans me back towards a pasta dish but in this instance only made up my mind to go for the Calzone of ham, olives, capers, pepperoni sausage, tomato and mozzarella in a folded pizza.

Inside, the Soho Pizzeria is every bit as intriguing as it is from the outside, with its many photographs and posters that sit alongside more red neon’s in this large attractive space. There is even a stage area for live music in the evenings, which is surely only another reason for a night-time return to Soho.

After the olives at Paradiso the previous evening, I was dubious as to whether our starter of mixed olives would be able to compete, but yet again they were delicious, with the stones removed and this time with strips of red pepper to compliment them. The larger green varieties were particularly impressive.

The calzone arrived soon after and it was time to swap cocktail sticks for knife & fork. With no side salad the plate looked bare and my earlier concern over portion size looked like coming back to haunt me, yet nowhere have I thought the phrase ‘quality not quantity’ to be more apt than at the Soho Pizzeria.

The folded pizza base was golden brown, marvelously light yet with a nice crisp edge. Cutting into the middle and there was ham and pepperoni sausage spilling out like treasure from a chest, not the usual deflating of air as happens at Zizzi. The tomato sauce was thick and well seasoned with Italian herbs.

The Quattro Stagioni chosen by my Dad was similarly demolished in record time and cleared away before the dessert menu was brought over. Whilst all of the options looked good, it seemed only right to have the Chocolate Fudge Cake, served hot of course and with an extra scoop of ice cream at £1.10.

With the coke long since gone, my tap water was topped up and a latte brought over for my Dad. Whilst this time the fudge cake was huge, the quality remained the same, with a rich and moist cake topped with hot chocolate sauce and accompanied by a scoop of topnotch if extortionate vanilla ice cream.

The Soho Pizzeria proved to be every bit as good as it looks and will certainly be seeing me again soon!

Paradiso doesn't quite make The Cut

Noting the ‘Est. 1934’ that proudly adorns the front of Ristorante Olivelli Paradiso on The Cut, I was very much hoping for a cry of ‘Seniore’ and a firm handshake from a suitably charming Italian owner upon arrival, however the mundane reality was of simply following our waitress in silence to a table for two.

The interior fully conforms to the standard Pizza Express interpretation of what an ‘Italian’ restaurant should look like, with typical grey marble table tops and white tiled floors. Unfortunately these tables are much too close together; removing a coat turns into a complex struggle that would leave even Harry Houdini frustrated.

Paradiso must be doing something right however as the relatively small restaurant was close to full with diners clearly enjoying themselves, which when added to the background music made for a lively if not loud atmosphere.

A small bowl of deliciously large mixed olives was placed on the table for us to enjoy whilst looking over the menus, and enjoy we did. Bathed in oil and perfectly salted, these were olives of the highest quality and set the standard for what was to come.

Having ordered two cokes (in glass bottles) and two tap waters to keep us going it was time for the mains; the menu is a good mix of pasta, pizza and salads with a diverse and extensive selection of vegetarian dishes on offer. Opting for pizza, I chose the Quattro Stagioni of artichokes, ham, mushroom and black olives.

The food was quick to arrive and the pizza was nicely cooked with a crisp base and a generous helping of each of the four toppings. Fresh ingredients abound with the ham more akin to bacon and again of excellent quality.

At £24.00 for two mains and two cokes Paradiso is good value and is a great choice for a pre-theatre meal, with both the Old Vic and Young Vic theatres close by, however my overriding feeling was one of disappointment in that as with the décor, the food was just too similar to that of the larger chains.

A pizza the Goodge Street action

Having been invited to a private viewing at an art gallery in trendy Fitzrovia, my immediate concern upon leaving Goodge Street Tube station, having carried out the mandatory phone, wallet, keys check, was to where I should eat.

Fortunately in this area of London you are spoilt for choice, given the diversity and sheer brilliance of Goodge Street and its neighbours when it comes to choice of restaurant.

On this particular occasion I decided to venture into the Italian Coffee Company, or ICCo as it prefers to be known. Sited on the corner of Goodge Street and Charlotte Street, this place is like a beacon with its cool interior and large windows, aimed at enticing the bright young people of Fitzrovia in to this thriving lair of freshly cooked pizza and Italian coffees.

As a single diner (yet again!) my initial worry was one of where to sit, seemingly looking out of place in my navy blue Zara Man coat and pinstriped suit amongst the skinny jeans and neon t-shirts that abounded, however a seat was spied and quickly claimed on one of the several high stainless-steel tables.

Leaving my copy of Brideshead Revisited on the table as a reminder to people that firstly the seat was taken but more importantly, that I do indeed read classics, I went up to the self-order counter and having previously been studying the menu opted for an 11” Capricciosa to eat in.

I was joined at the table by a group of American students and sat waiting what turned out to be around five minutes for my pizza to arrive, the pizza chefs literally make the bases and top them out right in front of you, so I was able to monitor the journey of the aforementioned Capricciosa from kitchen to pizza oven to plate, with the aid of a large pizza shovel.

‘Oliver’ was quietly called across the PA system and up I went to claim my prize, already planning my escape route in the event that I somehow managed to drop the pizza during transit from one stainless-steel counter to the next. Fortunately that issue never arose, and I even managed to grab a knife and fork wrapped in a plain white serviette with which to eat.

The pizza was piping hot and delicately topped with ham, mushroom, black olives, mozzarella cheese, tomato and basil sauce, although the menu does draw attention to the fact that turkey ham is a substitute for ham! In this instance, I never knew a fusion of pig and turkey could go so well on an 11” dough base.

Despite positively oozing with mozzarella, the pizza was in no way oily and was perfectly cooked, helped surely by the authentic and dedicated pizza oven that commands one corner of the restaurant.

At £5.30 these pizzas aren’t even comparable to the likes of Pizza Express, offering unbelievable value and using fresh ingredients in an environment that is wonderfully individual and offering a real buzz of what should surely be considered Real London.