Peter Emrys-Roberts
Eleven years ago the first Pizza Pilgrims opened on Dean Street and it quickly became my go-to.
A short stagger from the mothership (Quo Vadis Club), I would be there every week. The vibe was very relaxed, you could dine on a foosball table and the beats were strictly ironic 80s.
The brothers Elliot who founded the brand would be on the floor weaving their way between the repurposed school and church furniture, and the pizzas were gorgeous.
Cooked in the Neapolitan style from home-proved sourdough, they get just a minute and a half in the oven, leaving the base, well, chewy. Toppings were plentiful and gooey, all washed down with pints.
Then came a moment, a pivot, when they partnered with the Wahaca team to expand their business.
It soon received a makeover that in turn made it unrecognisable. Strap lines like ‘in crust we trust’ (the bit I’m least likely to eat…), and Waitrose-esque diagonal green stripes were applied to the exterior glazing. All the simplicity of owner-developed charm was redacted, James and Thom were no longer there, and this Pilgrim lost his faith.
So it was with some trepidation that I returned to try their Christmas ‘Full Pilgrimage’ sharing menu at their Victoria restaurant.
Despite the challenges of lockdowns they now have 24 locations and much of the original charm has found its way to their sites, each individually created to deliver a momentary escape to Italy.
It was a Tuesday night and as I arrived there was a queue out the door for tables. The event was in the basement and a group of journos, influencers and content creators gathered along a refectory table to street-test their festive offering.
From November 4th Groups of 8 or more can order their ‘full pilgrimage’ priced at £29.95 a person, which goes like this:
I’ll not talk you through each dish as the clue is in their titles, but what I really like about Pizza Pilgrims is that the toppings are generous and of high-quality ingredients. And the puffy dough, often slightly blackened where it has caught, is quite compelling.
Pizza remains a perfect dish for socialising and sharing, plus they serve pints, so I do see their Christmas menu being as busy as ever this year.
I was delighted to be reacquainted with Pizza Pilgrims and rather wonder what I have been doing all this time. It may now be a chain but the core product and cheekiness remains very much intact.
I’m sorry I went away. I thought you’d changed but it turns out you hadn’t. So I’ve come back 🙂
Related: There’s a new mulled wine trail in London and we’re so here for it
