Pizza Express, Abbey Road, London

The Sitch

One of my best friends has moved to London and weirdly has ended up living about ten minutes away. Considering she was first thinking of South London and I live in North-West, this was a very nice surprise! She's just started a new job - welcome to the real world, Hannah! - and to celebrate her first full day, we decided to go and do din dins.

Pizza Express has this mystical - as in I can never normally find it - 2 pizzas for £10 deal and I decided to use our vouchers and go to the Pizza Express on Abbey Road. We - once again stupidly - walked from Kilburn park but for all those who are clever and can remember to use a bus, the 189 and 139 passes right by the restaurant.

Of course, I should add that it's really not a bad place to walk to. Abbey Road is beautiful and I have to admit that when I'm on the bus going into town on a weekend - thanks so much Jubilee line - I like to have a sneaky peek into the gardens of the houses I will probably only long to own.

The Place

The restaurant on Abbey Road isn't like your usual Pizza Express; there's a huge black conservatory on the side of the building and it's a period building from the outside. From the inside it's decorated quite funkily but the acoustics are terrible; one table told another to shut up because the laughing and talking carried really badly.

The waiters know their menu well; they were more than happy to explain some bits of the menu to my friend when she asked about a type of pasta and when I asked them to recommend a wine. They helped to create a friendly, buzzy atmosphere which was great for a cold, dark and windy Monday night.

The Food

Starter:
- Formaggio Bread - Baked dough topped with creamy fontal cheese, tangy caramelised onions and a sprinkle of fresh parsley

Main Course:
- Pollo ad Astra - Torn chicken breast and peppadew sweet peppers, mixed with cajun spices, garlic oil and red onions
- Diavolo - Devilishly hot with spicy beef, pepperoni, onions and Tabasco, with hot green or jalapeno peppers

Dessert:
Lemon Gelato - This creamy gelato will really get your taste buds racing. Served with a dark chocolate straw

The starter portions were embarrassingly small. We had a Formaggio bread between two of us and received a small slate platter with a piece of bread no larger than an A6 postcard. Considering it cost £3.50, I was expecting something a little bigger to be honest.

The pizzas were tasty and well-flavoured but slightly overcooked as I pointed out to the waitress who apologised. If I hadn't been so hungry - thanks to the small starters - I would have sent it back and ordered a new one. I really don't enjoy a blackened pizza but the flavours, ingredients and freshness more than made up for it.

My lemon gelato was lovely and there was plenty of this; a great way to digest and breakdown all of the carbohydrates I had just consumed! The wine wasn't bad either which was a huge plus considering I'd cheaped out and gone for the cheapest on the menu.

The Decision

I was more than happy with the size of the bill after the 2 pizzas for £10 offer and I'd go back; I think with Pizza Express, the food is of a middling-good standard and you kind of have to pick and choose the ones you go to.

I'd definitely go back to the Abbey Road Pizza Express as I assume the black-topped pizzas were an anomaly and not a regular thing. The clientele were mixed; families, young professionals and older couples and it helped to create a great atmosphere in which I could chill out, relax and catch up with a friend.

The Vitals

Pizza Express - Abbey Road,
39, Abbey Road, NW8 0AA
Tel: 020 7624 5577
Website: http://www.pizzaexpress.com/

Nearest tube: St John's Wood