Crisp Pizza

Summary

“Believe the hype… these pizzas are remarkable!” – there’s nothing gastro in appearance when it comes to this mock Tudor pub: “a proper old man’s boozer” behind Hammersmith’s Riverside Studios. But self-taught pizzaiolo Carl McCluskey has set social media ablaze with folks travelling from far and wide and queuing round the block for his NYC-inspired creations. Even Harry Kane’s a fan! It’s a homespun and quirky set-up, which can struggle under weight of numbers. In particular, “be sure to book your dough before you go!” – you can reserve your pizza (to ensure you don’t go hungry and can take out if needs be), even if tables are reserved for walk-ins only. Is it the capital’s best? Jimi Famurewa in his March 2023 Evening Standard review neatly captured the nigh-impossibility of living up to such legendary billing. “The fact that McCluskey’s slices may not instantly supersede all the other half-remembered London pizzas you have eaten – and they didn’t quite, for me – does not make them any less exceptional, rare or worth crossing town for”. (Apparently, McCluskey is now on the hunt for a more conventional central London site).