Restaurant review: Tank and Paddle, Heddon Street, central London

A email popped into my inbox asking if I fancied trying out the new Tank and Paddle restaurant in Regent Street. Pizza and beer? How on earth could I say no? So I invited the BFF and we took ourselves off to London for an afternoon of stuffing ourselves silly and putting the world to rights.

There are now three different branches in London with a pretty simple concept. You're seated by a the wait staff and given a menu. Once you've chosen what you're going to eat, you hop along to the bar to order both your food and drinks. Then it's all brought to your table and you can tuck in like your life depends on it.





After deliberating for a while, we decided on a pizza each and a Mac and cheese to share. After all, you can't not order Mac and cheese when it's on the menu can you? If you don't then I'm not sure we can be friends... I'm a massive fan of spinach and chicken on a pizza so opted for The Chick-Flick. A delicious concoction of tender cajun spicy chicken, fresh Pappadew peppers, wilted spinach and soft red onions. Tank and Paddle certainly don't scrimp on the toppings. I loved the fact the tomato and melted cheese went pretty near to the edges and the base was crispy and super thin. No soggy pizzas on their watch! Jay had the Holy Smokes pizza. A BQQ base was topped with pulled chicken and smoked bacon. The ideal one for those who all about the meaty pizzas. To share we had The Smoky Mac and cheese with mini bacon strips hidden amongst the oozing cheese. The portions are huge so you could easily share a pizza - in hindsight we probably ordered a bit too much. But of course we ate every last scrap for the purpose of this review!

Tank and Paddle is a great place if you're on a strict time schedule in London and looking for reasonably priced grub. Food comes very quick yet cooked to a high standard and you can order in your own time at the bar. There's plenty of choice for both meat lovers and vegetarians with a good selection of beers to wash the pizza down. I know I'll definitely be back! Thanks so much for having us guys.



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Restaurant review: Firezza, Soho, central London


It seems like I've been eating a lot of pizza lately. Heaven eh? Last week I was invited along to the launch of a new pizza joint in Soho. Firezza decided to open their first sit-down restaurant and throw an insane pizza party to celebrate. Based in Dean Street, the location couldn't be more perfect - right in the heart of London.




They helped to wet our appetites with a selection of delicious bruschetta and endless glasses of prosecco. After we sampled everything on offer we took a seat and waited for the main event.

Served by the metre, the pizza is ideal for sharing. That's if you can bring yourself too - you might not want to after you have your first bite. Starting from £6, there are a variety of different topping on offer. My favourite featured generous lashings of creamy chunks of mozzarella, spicy pepperoni and torn flavoursome basil. Quite often the base can let a pizza down but the thin, chewy base blistered perfectly at the chunky crust. Make sure you try their signature potato and rosemary pizza too. It sounds strange but it works oh so well!

Filled with oozing cream, sprinkled with sweet icing sugar and dipped in chocolate chips, I fell in love with cannoli. It was my first time trying this Sicilian pastry but it won't be the last. They are unbelievably addictive and one of the must-try items on the menu.



Firezza has a lot of competition in London but it certainly lives up there with the best of the pizza joints on offer. It offers great value for money which is something often hard to find in the capital. It's a great place to get a group of friends together over the weekend for a catch up without breaking the bank. Enjoy the good food, craft beer and delicious desserts. Thanks so much for letting me come along - I'll certainly be back guys!

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Restaurant review: Franco Manca, Belsize Park, north London


Pizza is my favourite and Franco Manca is my favourite pizza joint in London. Nothing else comes close for me and I love the fact they now seem to be springing up all over the place. After the first branch opened in Brixton Market in 2008, the brand has gone from strength to strength. I introduced Gem to their delights of the pizza when she popped down to visit London for the day.




So what did I go for? Always the number 4. Salty home-cured Gloucester Old Spot Ham, creamy mozzarella, buffalo ricotta, soft wild mushrooms and juicy tomatoes on a chewy, sourdough base. Crisp on the outside yet soft in the middle, the base is the star attraction of the show. Especially when dipped in the gorgeous chilli oil on offer. Paired with their own brand cider, it was the ideal lunchtime treat.

Franco Manca is always so reasonably priced, always so delicious and the staff are always so attentive. For a cheap eat but without any compromising on taste, it always gets a gold star. Those who say London is an expensive place to eat clearly don't know where to look.


4 Comments

Restaurant review: Tank and Paddle, Fenchurch Street, central London


A emailed popped in my inbox to see if I wanted to try a new pizza place that had opened up in the Square Mile. Open Monday to Friday, newly opened Tank and Paddle offers pizza, mac and cheese and beer, making it the perfect place for a catch up with Hannah. How could we say no to the ultimate comfort food after a day at work and beat the Monday blues? Pizzas are only £5 on a Monday.




Deciding to get two pizzas and share, we opted for the special of ham and pineapple and Billy Goat's Gruff with toppings including goats cheese, red onion chutney and spinach. Simple is best in my opinion.  The stone-based pizzas had a delicious thin crispy base and a generous amount of toppings which helped them gain a thumbs up from us. The ham and pineapple just had the edge though. We also ordered a side of the smoky mac and cheese. The addictive gooey cheesy pasta was filled with lardons of salty bacon - the perfect partner to the pizza. We enjoyed a glass of Brother's Hop cider to wash it all down.

Tank and Paddle is well-priced, in a good central location and serves delicious food. A great place to whittle away a few hours gossiping with friends. Thanks for having us!



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Restaurant review: the new Autumn menu at Pizza Express


If you're a regular reader of my blog, you'll already know about my love of Pizza Express. So when an email dropped in my inbox asking me if I wanted to try out the new autumn menu, I obviously said yes! So I invited the best friend and we trotted along to our local branch for an evening of pizza, wine and an almighty catch up putting the world to rights.



Offering a range of drinks, starters, mains and desserts with a bustlingly autumnal feel, it was a hard decision to decide what to try. In the end I opted to start with Risotto Fresco, literally a comforting hug in a bowl. Piled high with fresh peppered salmon, juicy tomato, crunchy red onion and a splash of chilli oil, it was absolutely delicious. I almost wish I had sized up and ordered it for my main but alas I was here to try the pizzas. I drooled over my friend's portion of a creamy mushroom bruschetta with lashings of bรฉchamel sauce and sharp balsamic vinegar.



For our main, curious by the thought of ceaser dressing on a pizza I pumped for the Rustichella Romana. Served on a thin and crispy base, the pizza boasted salty pancetta, creamy mozzarella and roasted tomatoes before being topped with a handful of peppery rocket and shavings of strong hard cheese. I'm a massive fan of rocket on a pizza as I think it helps to add a little freshness. I've had many pizzas in the restaurant over the years but I think this one has to be one of my favourite combinations!

Finally to end the meal we were tempted by the chocolate fondant with a melted rich chocolate middle alongside vanilla gelato and the intense honeycomb cheesecake with a layer on salted caramel on a biscuit base. I'm not usually a chocolate fan but this just popped out to me and I'm so very glad it did. That warm melted chocolate alongside the cold gelato was a match made in heaven.

Once again Pizza Express have pulled out some corkers for their new autumn menu. Everything I tried was delicious and it's so nice to see the menu switched up a bit. If you only have one thing, make sure you go for the risotto. I'm dying to go back and try it again!


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Review: Stable Pizza, Whitechapel, East London


Last week I was invited to the launch of Stable Pizza in Whitechapel. Back in 2009, Richard and Nikki Cooper swapped London for Dorset and their first restaurant in a renovated stable at the back of their hotel. Cider is produced in abundance in the West Country so the pair decided to combine it with pizza to create a chilled out atmosphere where crowds of friends could gather for a laid-back night out. The chain uses local produce when possible and each menu is different depending on which restaurant you visit.




Stocking over 80 different types of cider from dry to sweet, fizzy to still,  Stable has one of the biggest cider selection I can think of in London. There doesn't seem to be anywhere like it. Craft beer and Gin, yes. But cider no. The great thing is they change it regularly so there are always different ones to try.

Now to the crispy sourdough pizza. The toppings seem endless, giving you some really tough choice to make! My favourites included The Coppa-Cabana, creamy Direct Coppa topped with field mushrooms, fresh tomato sauce, milky mozzarella before being drizzled with a dijon dressing and a handful of rocket leaves.  I was converted by The Porky Pancetta. A delicious combination of tomato sauce, sweet white onion and Dorset pancetta before being topped with a free range fried egg. Why have I have never had egg on a pizza before? Finally The King Crabbler was absolutely delicious.  Hand picked West Country crabmeat lightly infused with red chili, garlic and lemon provided the star player. It was topped with tomato sauce, roasted red peppers, fresh basil leaves and mozzarella. Creme fraiche, lemon and parsley provided the finishing touch.



It was honestly one of the best launches I have been lucky enough to attend. The staff were so knowledgeable and blew my mind with their cider knowledge. The pizza was absolutely delicious with so many different, unusual toppings. The venue was great, so laid back with a fantastic atmosphere. I genuinely can't wait to go back and have a table booked at the branch in Bristol for when I go stay with a friend in June. If you're looking for a chilled, fun night out then Stable Pizza should be first on your list. Thanks for such a great evening guys!

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Review: Pizza Express


Gosh I am behind with all my posts but a good few weeks back I was kindly invited along to Pizza Express to try out their menu.  Pizza Express is a restaurant I frequent quite often. It's always good value for money, brilliant service and the food always tastes delicious. This evening out was exactly what I needed after a a bad day so armed with my partner in crime - aka Mother Warner - we set off to a branch in the town next door and put the world to rights.

I get my vast appetite of my mother so it was no surprise that as soon as we spotted the table next door had ordered the Classic Italian Antipasti, we opted for this bad boy. Filled with juicy sundried tomatoes, creamy balls of buffalo mozzarella, salty olives, crispy bread, sweet Pepperdew peppers, roasted marinated aubergine, pea and mint pesto and Italian cried meats. It was just as delicious as it sounds! It was more than enough for two people although in reality it was possibility a bit too much. But we both took one for the team and finished every last scrap.





Never one to break a habit of a lifetime, my mum opted for the Pollo Verdure warm chicken salad. With soft dough breadsticks and fresh mixed vegetables smothered in a sweet honey and mustard sauce, it's great if you're after a less stodgy dinner.

I obviously opted for pizza. I never not opt for pizza if it's on the menu. This time I decided to sample the La Regina. A white bรฉchamel base topped with smoked ham hock, juicy black olives, chestnut mushrooms and gooey buffalo mozzarella. The pizza was then finished with a generous drizzle of black truffle oil. Having a tomato free base was something a little different to what I'm used but I was fast converted after a few slices. I loved the rich sauce alongside the salty ham - such a good combination!


Of course, no meal out is complete without a cheeky dessert. The Eton Mess Cheesecake immediately caught my eye and I didn't even have to look at the rest of the menu. The strawberry swirl cheesecake was just the right amount of sweetness and the meringue topping finished it off to a tee. If you have a sweet tooth, this is more than enough to give you your fix! My mum decided to plump for the Honeycomb Cream Slice. Oh man, the layer of salted caramel between the cheesecake and the base was divine. Sweet and salt is just a perfect combination right? I may or may not have finished this off when my mum couldn't eat anymore...

Thanks for such a lovely evening out Pizza Express!


2 Comments

Review: Pizza East






I love pizza. Even more than burgers. Controversial I know. So when we were discussing places to eat, I immediately came up with Pizza East and luckily my friends all gave their approval.  As we were coming from all over, we opted for the buzzing Shoreditch branch. Situated near Brick Lane, this old industrial tea warehouse building is right on the corner opposite Boxpark. I'd recommend booking just to ensure you don't end up disappointed. 

After being seated, we endeavoured the menu. It was a tough choice but I opted for the spicy sausage, mozzarella and tenderstem broccoli pizza. The generous chunks of succulent spicy sausage stole my heart. It added just the right amount of heat to the dish and the gooey mozzarella helped to compliment it. It was the first time I'd had broccoli on a pizza and I was sold on the first bite. It tastes delicious wrapped in the melted stringy cheese. The wood fried base was perfectly crispy and chewy at the same time. It tasted delicious dipped in the olive oil. 

Have you ever been to Pizza East?

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