PIZZA ROUND-UP: Rudy's, Santa Maria, and Fantasia
Thought I'd group these together as one review, as it's good to compare the pizzas that London has to offer. So we kick things off with Rudy's, a pizzeria that I've been to before in Canary Wharf, but that recently opened a branch closer to home in Shepherd's Bush. This visit was at the Shepherd's Bush branch which - given they had just opened - was pretty rammed. As such, wait times were lengthy for this neapolitan-style pizza.
I went for the Carni (pictured above), with San Marzano tomato, Fior di Latte, Grana Padano, salame finocchiona, salame piccante, wild boar salame, basil, e.v olive oil, and fresh chili, as well as a hot honey drizzle on the side. The pizza was pretty good, if a little soupy in the middle, and I would be fairly happy to call this my neighborhood pizzeria if it was the only one going. But it ain't. Crisp W6 and Napoli on the Road are both close by, and both preferable to this. One bite everybody knows the rules: 6.8. A decent, standard neapolitan.
Next, Santa Maria in Chelsea. Heard a lot about this one, as it's supposed to be one of the best Neapolitans in London. This is a lie. I had the Napoli, with tomato sauce, Mozzarella Fior Di Latte, Anchovies, Capers and Oregano. It was not bad, but it wasn't particularly good either. There was a nice crust to it, and the middle wasn't completely falling apart (like at Fatto a Mano), but there were barely any anchovies, the tomato sauce was very basic, and it pales in comparison to the Puttanesca that you can get at Pizza Pilgrims. One bite everybody knows the rules: 6.5
As a bonus, I went back to Lincolnshire a couple of months ago to see my parents for my Dad's birthday, during which, we stopped in at Fantasia in Mablethorpe. This place was one of the primary reasons why I was a chunky kid. I absolutely loved the Bolognese pizza and chips with a 'seafood' sauce, and so I had that winning combination again. Out of respect for my child self, I will refrain from rating it. But suffice it to say: yeah, it ain't great.
