Our Review Of Santa Maria Fitzrovia: An Authentic And Intimate Neapolitan Pizzeria

There's stiff competition when it comes to the best pizza in London, with an Italian restaurant seemingly waiting around every corner. But as a self-confessed pizza addict, I've taken it upon myself to located the very top spots - and one that kept being recommended to me was Santa Maria Pizzeria. Established in 2010, this group have quickly opened venues all over Central and West London, promising slices just like the ones you'd find on the streets of Naples. Suitably intrigued, I recently ventured to Fitzrovia to try their offerings.

The pared-back interiors in this intimate menu really let the food shine.

DesignMyNight’s Review Of Santa Maria In Fitzrovia

A stone's throw from the striking BT Tower, Santa Maria's Fitzrovia outpost is an intimate destination that features just two rows of simple wooden tables, with an open kitchen at the back where you can watch the chefs work. We were led to a cosy corner seat, where we had a sense of privacy while still being a part of the hustle and bustle of this busy eatery. 

We were sticking to soft drinks tonight, so to begin the meal my boyfriend ordered a coca cola (£3.50), and I tried one of their signatures, the Santa Maria aranciata rossa (£3.50), recommended by our waitress. This was a deliciously fruity blood orange-based drink, which tasted sweet but not too overpoweringly sugary.

Crispy parmesan and roasted aubergine are just some of the toppings on offer.

To start, we ordered a classic bruschetta (£6.50), served on thick-cut pieces of grilled, homemade bread. The topping was simple but effective: bitesize chunks of fresh vine tomatoes, tossed in extra virgin olive oil, basil, oregano and garlic - the latter was most evident in the flavour. Alongside this, we devoured an aubergine parmigiana (£7.50) - thin tender slices of the vegetable coated in a rich tomato sauce, finished with a tangy, stretchy mixture of mozzarella and parmesan.

As gorgeous as these starters were, the main course was what we had really come for. After both deliberating over which pizza to choose, we decided to share two vegetable-heavy options. First was the San Francesco (£12.95), loaded with mixed peppers, courgettes and aubergine on a mozzarella bed. And though this can be enjoyed as a white pizza, we opted to add tomato sauce for £1 extra. Our second pick was a San Vincenzo (£14.50), topped with aubergine parmigiana (Can you tell we like aubergine?) and crunchy parmesan crisps that I loved, with a smoked mozzarella as the main cheese. 

Both pizzas boasted a fluffy crust and a thin base, and though I'm not from Naples, I think it's safe to say that they were about as authentic as it gets outside of Italy. Although in a slightly less cultured move, we took advantage of their three crust dippers for £5 offer, and dunked our dough in a combination of garlic mayo, truffle and mushroom cream and basil pesto - though we found the last one a little too bitter for our liking.

From Neapolitan pizzas to gelato, Santa Maria provides a crash-course in Italian dining.

The dessert menu was quite coffee-heavy, but as I've never managed to acquire this taste I kept it simple with two scoops of ice cream (£4.95) to finish my meal. The chocolate flavour was sweet and creamy, balanced out by the richer salted caramel. My partner devoured a pan di stelle (£6.95), a cheesecake that combined mascarpone and Nutella chocolate mousse on a bed of traditional Italian biscuit.

Overall: Santa Maria London

The Santa Maria menu claims to have some of the most authentic Neapolitan pizzas around, and I can wholeheartedly say that's true after my visit. The dough was perfectly fluffy and the toppings full of flavour, and I'd highly recommend trying some of their smaller plates too. One of the few genuinely affordable restaurants in Central London, you could easily dine here and leave with change from £20. With all these factors combined, I'll absolutely be returning.

For more cheap eats, check out these affordable restaurants in London.