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
No comments:
Post a Comment