Stoke Newington is proving to be the Naples of North East London - thankfully minus the volcano and the mafia - especially with the arrival of pizza purist L'Antica Pizzeria da Michele – a satellite branch of a landmark Neapolitan restaurant, on whose menu Margherita and Marinara are the only options.
A few doors away, similarly godlike Apollo also takes its inspiration from pizza's spiritual hometown, the restaurant centred around a giant oven shipped to Stokey from Napoli.
Elsewhere out east, sourdough rules at trendy micro-chains Yard Sale (Clapton, Finsbury Park, Walthamstow) and Sodo Pizza Cafe (Clapton, Hoxton, Walthamstow), the latter especially recommended for its moreish elastic-like bases.
Bicycle wheel-sized pizzas arrive by the slice at hipster hangout Voodoo Ray's (Dalston, Shoreditch, Camden, Peckham), with meaty New York-style offerings starting at just £3.50 – see also Homeslice (Shoreditch, Fitzrovia, Covent Garden) for another slick by-the-slice operation.
The rest of the capital has also seen a slice of the pizza renaissance – south of the river look out for Four Hundred Rabbits in Crystal Palace and 'Over in Southwark – the latter reportedly making its bases using Mediterranean sea water.
And then there’s Notting Hill's commendable Portobello Ristorante Pizzeria flying the flag in the west with pizzas like the Tartufata and its topping of mozzarella, truffle cream, Parma ham, cherry tomatoes and Parmesan.
